


Another Chance: Growth

by ilyena_sylph, Merfilly



Series: Another Chance (Pern/DCU fusion) [6]
Category: DCU - Comicverse, Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Alien Character(s), Alternate Universe - Fusion, Minor Character Death, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-04
Updated: 2012-12-04
Packaged: 2017-11-20 06:24:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/582264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/pseuds/ilyena_sylph, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The dragons grow, and the colony begins to shift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another Chance: Growth

***

Dick gave a quick whistle from his spot under the shutters built along the house's outer wall, warning his partner and Sean and Sorka that the vet contingent -- complete with Sorka's father -- was on their way up the path from the sheds, while he was still rubbing oil gently into Shareth's rapidly stretching skin. In only a week, his young bronze had put on a full hand-span of height, as had all of the others. Roy was a little ways away, drying Brileth's claw sheathes from the brown's bath.

Sean raised his gaze -- complete with a soft, unguarded smile -- up to the path, his face settling back into the harder lines so many expected of him as he changed his attention from his bronze to the incoming people. Sorka gave Faranth a last caress and a gentle push away, laughing softly when she settled next to Carenath and stole some of the sunlight. Roy finished his own task, not caring who was coming because he didn't want to hear Brileth's complaints about mud around his claws later.

Sorka smiled as her father came up with the other vets, calling out a greeting. "Hi, Dad. Come to check up on them again?"

"We've been by some of the others, but since there're four of you right here, yes," Red answered, smiling at his son-in-law and the other boys as well. In his private opinion, they seemed like a good, strong team -- something the dragons as a whole were going to need to be if they were going to survive. "Are those brushes we had made working well enough to get the oil in nicely?"

"They do, though some would have you hand buff it at the end," Sean said, with a slight look at Sorka for how much she made Faranth shine.

Sorka sniffed a little, then jumped as Faranth complained in the back of her mind. _Iiiitch..._

"Where do you itch, Farrie?" she asked, already reaching around to steal the pot of oil from Dick's quickly outstretched hand. Red couldn't help but notice how much his daughter had changed, the quiet extra strength and almost glow she exuded as she turned to tend to her dragon partner. He also noticed the way Faranth seemed to object to the nickname, and Sorka's amused reaction.

Roy came over now that Bri was fully settled and dry, noting Faranth's imperiousness with a fond smile, before he smiled ingenuously at Red. "The brushes help, and it was good thinking to try making chamois-style rags out of the smaller wherry hides."

"Doesn't irritate their hide the way some of the textiles were," Sean agreed.

"Jays know how little we like dealing with them when they're irritated," Dick chuckled -- and Shareth's head snaked out and bumped into the back of one of his knees, gently. _Hungry..._ was the quiet complaint, and Dick looked at his partners. "Shar's hungry, anyone el -- why did I bother asking?" he laughed as all three of the others made it quite obvious that food would be just fine by them.

Sean shook his head. "Walking stomachs, the lot of you," he said, and looked up to find Blazer and some of the others on the shutter rail. He whistled and they vanished, Trouble and Chakano a bare moment behind them at Dick and Roy's silent encouragement.

Sorka passed the two boys a knowing look at the fact their lizards only answered to their own family most of the time, but she concentrated on the itchy place. "If you'd eat less, you wouldn't itch so much," she told her dragon, fully expecting the retort she got about being a growing dragon.

"They're growing well," Pol and Bay both opined, before Pol continued. "Don't... we can't rush them, Sean, but I'd say full growth by nine months at most."

"We'll see," the more-or-less uncontested leader of the twenty dragons told the leader of the xenobiologists. "I've never rushed a foal, I'm not about to rush my dragon, but with their heavier bones and muscles, you might be right. I think we'll make manned flight on schedule too, Pol."

"We will," Dick agreed, watching as the fair came back with pack-tail fish for the dragonets, who lifted their heads with almost equal imperiousness to take the fish as their due. The fire-lizards headed back for the shutter rim, chirruping among themselves about who was going to have what spot for a few moments.

"They're credits to all of you," Caesar Galliani said, looking especially at Brileth. "Though Marco's Duluth looks just as well."

"He sure does," Roy agreed. He hadn't ever had a lot to do with the laconic rancher, but since the Impression, they'd seen much more of him. Marco was a pretty good guy, and his brown was sturdy, too.

Sean snorted, "And so they should. As long as they're eating, sleeping, being bathed, cossetted and otherwise fussed over --"

"They, and we, have nothing to complain about," Sorka slid in before Sean could keep on going.

Dick blinked as Carenath lifted his head fretfully, and leaned into Shareth's awareness to find out what was going on, even as Sean spun quickly to reach down and pull his bronze's head in against his chest, rubbing gently behind one jowl. "Easy, Car, easy... no, you're not trouble, you're just growing. It's okay," he murmured quietly.

Roy offered Bri a quick rub along his eye ridge as the big brown stuck his muzzle into things. "Wouldn't give up the chance to be your servants for the life of us," Roy teased the dragons, getting snorted at for it and enjoying the spicy smell of their breath.

Red was still most startled by the difference in Sean, of all of them. He'd known Roy well enough to notice the way the young man walked taller, handled himself with more pride, and it was impossible to miss the transformations the Impressions had made in some of the others. David Catarel had finally been given a reason to heal from Lucy's death in that First Fall. Tarrie Chernoff had stopped apologizing for everything, and several of the others had changed as well... But Sean's reserve had in some ways been shattered by Carenath's Impression, and Red wondered if the glimpses he could now see of that deep compassion were what his daughter always had seen.

"They're in good hands. Sorka, you and Sean and Roy have the training to keep the notes up, so mind that you do," Bay entreated. "They'll be invaluable help if we're to make sense of Wind Blossom's plans."

"You know we will, Bay," Sorka promised, smiling over at the other woman. "We were better trained than not to -- or at least I was!"

"Are you kidding, Sorka? Di'd knock my head in if I didn't keep notes on any project I was on," Roy protested indignantly. "She's right, Bay. We'll keep on it."

That none of them had much confidence in any of Wind Blossom's attempts to continue her grandmother's work didn't much need to be said, Dick decided. She just wasn't as capable as Kitti had been, but they'd see what happened with her tries. For now, though, there were twenty of them already alive and bonded. As long as they kept strong, they'd make it no matter what Wind Blossom got up to. "We'll see you later, Red, Bay, Caesar, right? It looks like they would like naps..." he said idly as the four of them arranged themselves in a heap, Carenath's head and neck over Faranth's shoulders.

 _Only until we're hungry,_ Shareth said, turning nose to tail with Brileth.

The vets and breeder decided that was as satisfying an interview as they could have, and took up the return path, noting how close the dragons and riders were even in this simple task of grooming and caring.

Dick slid down the wall next to them, eyeing the siliplas bathing tub, and the shutters up above, with a vaguely uneasy look. "Sean, what are we going to do when they outgrow being up against the houses like this? Even with people going back to their stakes as Slade and Tarvi get more shutters up, Landing was never designed for housing the dragons..."

"I know, Dick, and I _don't_ know. You're right. Slade did a great job with the design, and it'll hold for a good long while, but Landing's just not built for us."

Roy snorted, "Landing's not built for this kind of crowding, either. It wasn't ever supposed to be more than temp, and we all know it. It's not good for the little kids, either, to be cramped in so tight... Your ma does a great job with them, Sorka, I know, but."

Sorka shook her head, "No, Roy. You're right. Mom never expected to have so many to take care of. But that's not on the topic, either. I don't know... but Catherine mentioned the caves she fell into again the other day. I wonder if, once they're more grown, they'd be comfortable in them?"

Sean was the one that caught the way Dick and Roy went tense before they shook it off and Dick thought about it, one hand curled around Roy's shoulder. "...Maybe, Sorka. We could give it a look, anyway," he said after a moment.

Roy pressed into the touch; if Dinah could break her agoraphobia, he could overcome the lingering fears of tight spaces. Especially when it was for Brileth. "Caves aren't the problem. One way or another, we'll make a place for us all," he said. "No, the problem is very quickly going to be feeding them, guys. You know that, right? Chakano and Trouble are worn out some nights from fetching for them."

"From how they look, I think another week and we can try setting them at sheep or the like, Roy," Sorka said, then amended the statement. "As long as we could set them loose in some kind of small corral, at least."

"Yeah, otherwise the prey would get too far clear of them too fast, until they've got some ability to fly," Dick nodded, giving Shareth a long, amused look. "I hope you're right, though. Chaka doesn't mind, but he does get tired."

"We'll need to breed up some of the culls," Roy commented. "Or the Governor and the Admiral will have fits over the dragons taking food from people," he snorted.

"Always wherries to hunt, too," Sean said, but his tone told them the admiral and governor could shove it. People could eat off the hydroponics a lot easier than the dragons could. The fire lizards ate nearly anything fresh, but the dragons were proving to be pretty well completely carnivorous.

Dick nodded, "You're both right, the wherries will just take them being able to fly -- or us hunting them for them."

Roy looked over at the way Sorka was leaning against Sean, the swell of her belly visible even for the loose-fitting shipsuit, and frowned a little. "Sorka, hon, are you taking it easy enough for the baby?"

That grabbed Sean's attention, and he shifted, keeping her tucked in against his arm to look at her, "Are you alright, love?"

"I'm fine, Sean," she soothed, kissing him lightly before she shot a nasty look at Roy. "I really am. My doc said I was just fine to ride, and keep doing clinic duty, and all of you worry _way_ too much! I'm just fine."

Sean made a low rumbling noise, but it was Roy who threw his hands up theatrically. "Fine, bother us all for caring! Not like we aren't all looking forward to the baby being here in normal time!"

Sorka snorted and picked up an oil-rag to throw at his shin. "Oh, hush, Roy."

Dick rolled his eyes at all of them, and looked over at Sean, "Sean... how are we going to teach them to go _between_? I mean, we don't know how the fire-lizards do it."

"Then, I think we'd best be learning." Sean looked at the tired lizards ranged all around. "Later."

Dick nodded, "You're right, Sean. We've got to... and here comes David. Polenth must finally be asleep."

"If he's on the way, the others will be..." Sean looked at Sorka. "Mind finding sandwiches for us all?"

Roy frowned where Sean couldn't see, but he answered evenly, before Sorka could say a word. "Be glad to help with that, Sorka!"

"I'd take the help," she nodded and slid back to her feet to head inside and see about the food. Only fair, they'd all headed for Nora's the last time they'd needed to talk a situation over.

Dick let go of Roy to let him up -- there wasn't room in that kitchen for more than two of them -- and started in to see about finding enough cushions and the like for everybody to settle in around once they got there. Sure, they had everyone else in the vet and bio programs for help if they needed it, but really... it always worked best for them to talk things out. He looked back over his shoulder, tossing his head at the door. "C'mon, Sean, help me drag stuff out for everyone to flop on, there's not enough room inside."

Sean grunted and started doing the heavy work. He was already glimpsing that they were going to need to lean on one another, that solutions for them would have to come from within. No-one else understood what it was like to have a partner like Carenath, to have another mind and other needs so strong in your mind, except the other riders. And until the work was proven, until the flaming dragons flew against Thread, the admin side would merely see them as resources not yet proven.

***

While staying with Roy and Dick was certainly one option always open to Slade, it did not suit the weary man for such a brief stay in Landing. The dragons, for all their importance, were rather disruptive to a man that needed to catch sleep, coordinate with the rest of the engineers, and get back to his job away from the Admin center. Which was why, when the earthquake hit, he was catching the needed sleep in an off room from the met tower, at Keroon's insistence, since the governor and Admiral couldn't see him until morning.

He rolled to his feet, still tense from the planet dancing, and went out to see if he could find Jake -- the boy seemed to enjoy the late-night to mid-morning shift -- and keep his ear on what was going on. He might even lend a hand with the comms if the young man got too swamped. He reached the comm station just in time to hear Jake talking to Ongola, rattling off the geologist's answer that the lava chambers all along the eastern island ring were setting off the gravity sensors, but he didn't know just where the major eruption would hit, if it did. He was working on that. "Jake," he said quietly, catching the young man's attention. "Need a hand?"

The boy pointed at the switchboard, which was rapidly lighting up, and said with a twist of his mouth, "When don't I?"

Slade slid right into place, fielding calls, able to catch Jake's words and then repeat them on as reassurances. He wondered just what Tar -- Telgar would say once he'd been at the graphs. Then, Landing would have true answers. The man understood planetary motions far more than any other. Patrice was a good hand at geology, but Telgar had a gift for it.

Once he had finally helped to get the switchboard clear, he flicked a smile at the young man. "Pern just keeps it up, doesn't she?" he asked.

"Always on my shift, too," the young man laughed. "Hey, Tarrie about loves the shelters you designed, now that they've got a couple of full ones made up. She wasn't enjoying the thought of the caves some of the others were kicking around any too much."

Slade shrugged, but he smiled too. Anything he could do to keep the kids and their beasts happy until the time they could do as they were designed to. A holding action was what they were fighting now, and part of Slade grimaced at thinking of it that way. He'd been tired of war when they went to sleep to come to Pern. To be thinking of dealing with Thread as another war... it didn't sit well. "Be more of those rumors of moving to be better shielded," Slade said. "After a shake like that."

"What, up into the Frozen North?" Jake questioned, cocking his head to the side. "Have we really got that many people that'll be that upset?"

"I hear it. Some of the stakeholders tell me not to bother with the shutters, that they're thinking of rescinding claims here for sturdier, more stable lands," Slade said. "Another quake or two, and Benden's going to have to address them."

Jake shook his head confusedly. "I don't get that, Slade," the young comm tech admitted. "I mean, I know how bad Thread can get -- but it's not like they can run away from it and be safe up North, it hits there, too. And we won't all leave, so why would they want to go all the way up there where it's cold and the winters are awful, when we're going to have less and less ability to reach them with the sleds? They're wearing out so fast as it is, and throwing the comm beams that far... It just doesn't make sense to me."

"I know this. You know this. The logistics don't march for the move, but there are arguments for it as well. Leave a concentrated cluster here to grow food, get the rest into sturdy land to start a less compromised beachhead colony stake...." Slade shrugged. "I'm for staying here, maybe pulling back from the coasts some, and away from the more active faultlines. But here!"

"Yeah," Jake nodded. "I mean, Landing isn't well set up, but... if I was --" he shook his head, abashed. "Nevermind that. I guess it's just me being a comm tech that makes me think moving that far north is loony. Well, that and how much I hate the cold."

Slade laughed. "Me too... there's a reason I didn't argue moving to a stake in the longest growing season this continent offers..." Another benefit of having moved that far south was that their stake, and Dinah's crops, were well out of the way of the current shakes. He shook his head, and kept working on the comm traffic.

***

The colony was in for a bit of normal... at least, as normal as you could get with Thread trying to suck the planet dry. The dragons were growing, a new volcano erupting from the ocean to the east was testimony to the the disruptive geological state of the world, and a further attempt to grab some Thread in space had ended with the death of the two pilots and loss of another shuttle. Even Drake had had to admit that losing Nabol and Lemos had been bad, they'd been good flight leaders -- something the Thread crews still badly needed.

And Slade had been entirely right. At the meeting about the volcano, calls to move North had erupted all over again, and Benden and Boll seemed to be listening. Telgar had remembered a massive cave in the North, and he and Ozzie and Cobber had gone up to see if it could be turned to human habitation. The currently reigning argument seemed to be that there was less sense in using so much material and time to create Thread-proof shelters, when the caves would be a perfectly secure natural shelter that could easily house them.

Unsurprisingly, most of the ranchers and the larger farmers disagreed intently, pointing out that they weren't going to be able to raise crops or meat for the population half as well up in the frigid northern climates. Let alone the fishermen, who didn't want to be that far from the sea and all of its bounty. Jim Tillek had been one of the loudest critics there. What the eventual resolution was going to be was still up in the air...

...none of which made any difference to Sorka Hanrahan-Connell as she twisted and turned on the bed she shared with Sean, completely incapable of getting comfortable, especially with the _humming_ just barely audible but impossible to ignore.

"Sorka... what's wrong?" Sean managed to say sleepily, looking at her as his eyes came open.

She whimpered, a shot of pain lashing through her groin, and the humming outside picked up, a faint glow in the window that _couldn't_ be daylight...

Sean sat up, "The baby?"

"Has to be," Sorka nodded, taking a slow, deep breath. "Check and see that the dragonets are here, would you, Sean?"

"Oh, fine, don't think of us," came Dick's amused voice from the other side of the door. "You all right, Sorka? Shareth and Brileth woke us up when Faranth started humming..."

"That's what that is! She's reacting to the baby like it's a Hatching," Sorka managed to giggle. She knew the sound of the dragonets humming, but that deeper noise -- that was her dragon. No, probably all four of them...

 _Of course I did,_ Faranth said reprovingly. _You hurt._

Sean watched as Roy solicitously came to help him steady Sorka in the bed. "All the fire lizards are here, Sorka-love," he told her after doing a mental assessment.

"Good," Sorka said, "Now... go call Greta, would one of you?"

Sean growled quietly, "We don't need her, I'm as good a midwife as she is.."

"Yeah, for animals, Sean, but -- oh, these are real close together," Sorka said as she clutched at her stomach.

Dick spun around, hearing a knock at the door, and came back chuckling. "Hey, Greta. Good morning, c'mon in..."

 _You wanted the woman,_ Faranth soothed her. _She came._

Roy chuckled over at Greta's arrival. "Gotten used to the dragon song?"

"No, a fair flew in my open window and insisted that I come outside. Once I was... Well, it wasn't hard to see which house I needed to come to. Now let me see how you're doing," the tall woman said, smiling at Sorka.

Roy squeezed her hand again, then slid down off the bed to go back to Dick. "We'll go head off anyone _else_ that decides to show up," he promised, grinning back at them.

"Thanks, Roy, Dick," Sean called, feeling a little uncertain now that it was his child to be born.

Roy turned to Dick once they had taken up watch outside, listening to the dragons. "He's going nuts over having a baby, isn't he?" Roy asked, his tone all teasing.

"Of course he is," Dick said, grinning, before he winced at Faranth's eyes whirling orange. 

Roy saw it, too, and called out.

"Bri, Shar.... can you two help calm Faranth?" he asked aloud, pushing the request mentally, too. "Let her know it's okay, just a baby coming."

 _But she hurts. A rider should not hurt,_ he got back from his own dragon.

"Yeah, I got that too," Dick said as Roy looked at him with a longsuffering expression. "Let's just hope Greta brought a hypo with her, or --"

Faranth trumpeted, raising up on her hind legs with her wings fanning. "Or it's going to get really loud around here." He blinked, looking at the way Carenath and Shareth moved to her, rubbing up against her.

Carenath twined his neck to the golden queen's, making a comforting rumble beneath the hum of expectancy.

"We need to support them, to support her, so Sorka doesn't freak them out further," Roy said softly.

Dick nodded, and moved to his bronze, stroking gently over his suede-like hide, "It's okay, fellas. It's okay, Farrie. She's just having a baby, it's okay..." He'd been talking for a little bit, trying to calm them down, when Farenath's eyes settled back to green-blue and she dropped down to all fours again, wings settling to her back.

Shareth said quietly, _That is better. Sorka no longer hurts._

"Thank the stars for small miracles," Roy murmured, as Brileth gave him the same news. "Now we just wait."

 _Not much longer,_ the brown dragon said with knowing beyond his own experience, proving some of the firelizard instincts were fully intact.

The brown was proven right, too, as their four all soon went silent, then trumpeted -- in concert with every other dragon, and most of the fire-lizards in Landing -- in triumph.

"So, bets on if it's a boy or a girl?" Roy said once the ringing in his ears died down.

"Bets all of Landing demands we move out after this?" Dick asked, a touch of sourness brought to the joyous occasion as he looked at the residences coming to life.

 _It is a boy hatchling,_ Bri was quick to tell them.

Roy sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah, probably. Guess it's going to have to be the caves, if they're going to do this every time one of the girls has a baby... But hey. Sean's got a son."

"With his ways, I think it's a good thing he's got a son," Dick said, knowing that Sean could be backwards sometimes in how he parceled out tasks.

"Don't remind me, Dick. One of these days I'm gonna deck him for her, since she won't," Roy said, shaking his head.

"We keep him in check, I think," Dick said.

"Yeah, we do. And he's lots better than his dad -- not that that takes much." That was an understatement, and Dick knew it as well as he did. "C'mon, Sorka ought to be decent by now, let's go see the baby." Roy nudged him, wrapping an arm around his waist to pull him along.

The two young men joined Sean, Sorka, and the baby just as Greta was putting everything away to leave. She smiled, and then headed to her next stop of the day, because there was still a fire lizard chorus to be heard in another part of the residences. Elizabeth Jepson was having twins... maybe new children would help comfort them from the loss of the twins.

***

Dick had been right. The roar from the young dragons at Michael's birth had finally tried the patience of the Landing population more than they could stand, and the riders had been firmly -- encouraged, at the mildest -- to move into the caves Catherine had found years before. Outside the house on Irish Square on yet another evening, the riders settled into a circle to discuss it, after spending half the day exploring the site.

David broke the silence that had dropped around them after a few moments. "The caves really are pretty nice -- not just for caves, but in general. I know you were worried about damp, Sorka, with Michael, but they're lava tubes, so they're pretty well dry except where surface water's broken through..."

"Some of them are _huge_ , too," Catherine Radelin said, still smiling at her old find being so useful now. "Bigger than any of the rooms we've got now."

Roy saw it as Tarrie's mouth twisted unhappily, but she stayed quiet, waiting to see what the others had to say -- which was pretty much exactly what he was doing.

"Means having less of a need to shelter the dragons with metal that the techs need to get more fields covered," Marco added. "Any stone we quarry out refining the place won't go amiss with the masons, either. Be a pain to transport, maybe, but it's good rock."

Roy shifted from foot to foot, keeping far quieter than he normally was at these meetings. He knew it was necessary. He knew he could do whatever Brileth wanted or needed. He just really, really did not want to be plagued by memory at every move, every turn. And Brileth certainly did not need to endure the fear he had of being back in confined, twisting rock.

 _I will not let you be trapped,_ Brileth said firmly, and Roy could hear the low croon of his dragon from behind the house. _The fire-lizards go_ between _. I will, too._

 _Shh, I know, Bri...I know._ Roy breathed slow and deep, before he looked over at Dick. He worried over his partner. _How's Dick, according to Sharrie?_

There was a moment's pause, then his brown answered. _Shareth says he is mostly all right. He is not happy, but accepting._

"I really don't mind the idea of having more room," Peter Semling said, flicking a smile around the circle. "And it'll be nice to not have to get all over Landing to talk to each other -- I mean, other than you four, we don't even live in the same Squares."

 _Long as he's okay, and you and Sharrie are..._ Roy **would** do this. They all had to be together if they were going to achieve results; hadn't he learned that ages ago when Slade had proven to him families didn't just have to be him and Dick?

 _We are fine. There will be more room, and more space to sunbathe when it is clear,_ Brileth said calmly, pressing reassurance against his partner's mind. _You will, too?_

"That's a point," he heard Dick say from his spot next to him, "and a good one. Still not crazy about this whole plan, but it makes way more sense than pissing people off and our dragons being so badly crowded. One thing I'm worried about is food for us. We're not going to be able to get back to Landing to eat. So, can we get power run down from the dam to use the equipment we're familiar with, or are we gonna have to figure out how to go a lot more low-tech?"

Sorka considered that for a moment, then looked at Marco, remembering the last time there had been a big gathering. "Stone oven, wood fired; isn't that what I heard your da bragging about for that bread he brought in the last time?"

"Yeah, it's good stuff. Really well-built. We can feed all our hands easy off the kitchen out of our stake with no problem. Bakes bread, roasts meat, flat surface that liquids simmer on, and one side is partially open with a kettle hook for stew..." Marco described. "If we cut back to that level, that's one less thing for Landing to hold over us."

"Never a bad thing," David added in.

"Pit cooking too," Roy threw in after a second's thought. "For the big beasts, when we manage to save one from our dragons for ourselves."

"Yeah. Dig a couple out, line 'em with good hard stone, then we'll have it easier the rest of the times we want to," Sean said, nodding a little. "And the stone of the ovens will help warm wherever we put it for a common area. 'Nother good thing."

"Speaking of heat," Otto Hegelman said, "any chance of driving hypocausts while we've still got the power? That'd be a lot better for everything than burning wood or coal for heat, and since we can't reproduce the solar panels here, there's no way we'll get any of the supply that's left. Having to set up entirely new mainfraimes up north? They'll hang on to them with everything they've got."

Roy looked at Dick, and they had a silent conference before Dick spoke up. "I'm pretty sure Slade could persuade someone, maybe Cobber, to come drive the burners for us," he offered, knowing that their 'father-figure' would do anything for the self-sustaining defense force of Pern -- and for them.

Sean snorted quietly, amused smile on his lips. "You know he will," he agreed. "You take care of that, Marco, see if your da will give plans over. Anybody _want_ the job of figuring out how to furnish the caves with more than what we've got scattered through the houses?"

Dick grinned slyly, but Roy spoke up before he could. "Leave it to me," he offered the leader of their not-so rag tag group. He knew who was hoarding as well as Dick was, and could still wheedle the best of them when he really wanted to try. Dick would get Slade onboard with getting them decent heat, he'd deal with the furnishings.

"You've got it, then," Sean said, nodding at him. "What else are we forgetting? Not going to have us scrambling after we move to fix things -- we don't need to look like we don't have our acts together."

" _Stars_ , no!" Tarrie said vehemently, "I mean, I'd do almost anything for space of our own, but for pity's sake let's get it right first time!" With that, they fully settled into the planning, ideas bouncing between them, covering the angles from space-born and Earth-born and colony-born points of view. They all had something to offer Pern, and each other.

****

Between Slade and Joel and Roy and Marco, they were able to move into the caves within a matter of days -- and Roy and Dick both breathed a little more easily once they were actually there. The dry volcanic rock was nothing like limestone, nothing like the damp stone of the living, natural caves on Iota, and the portions they were living in were far closer to the surface and open air than the warrens they'd once lived in had been.

All of those factors helped, and having Sorka and Sean -- and Michael, who they both intended to spoil like uncles should -- close helped, too. But the thing that made the move underground so much easier on them was one none of them had expected, even though they should have.

Sitting close to the kitchen stove the first night they were fully moved, all of them gathered in to talk about what they'd been doing through the last few, Roy's nerves had started to twitch at the weight of rock over their heads. He was trying to hide it, keep it back --

\-- and suddenly he was seeing the stars outside from so many different angles that it made his head spin. There was a coherent picture, but -- //dragon eyes, like fire-lizard eyes but not, and so much stronger...// He wrapped his hand hard around the back of his chair, swallowing quietly as the full sensory impression of being outside wrapped around him.

_...what? Bri?_

 _You were upset,_ his dragon sent, love and concern thick in the bond between them. _It was about being in there, so I showed you out-here._ The sight faded out, but the scents and the feeling of the wind over wings stayed in his mind

 _I'm no -- okay, okay,_ he cut off the attempt at pretending at the feeling of reproach from his partner, _I was trying not to be upset. You... wow. That was. Really neat. But I don't see like you do, Bri..._

 _No,_ Brileth agreed, calm and easy, _you see very flat._

Roy laughed, saw the glances of the other riders around him, and shrugged a shoulder. "Bri being funny," he said, and David and Marco grinned back at him before picking up the conversation they'd been in.

"Oh?" Dick asked quietly, having come over from where he'd been over talking with Sean to lean in against his side, and Roy slung his arm around his waist.

"Apparently we see 'very flat' compared to the way they do," he said softly, shrugging his other shoulder a little.

Dick shifted against his shoulder, making a softly curious noise, and Roy snorted amusement in return. "Yeah, he decided to show me what he was looking at, and it made me kinda dizzy."

 _Shareth says he can show him?_ Brileth sent, still contentedly amused and a little mischievous, and while Roy was still arguing with himself about rather or not he thought that was a good idea, Dick's hand caught hard at his thigh, head rocking against his shoulder.

"Oh," Dick said faintly, after a moment. "That... that is weird. Awesome, but weird, and I guess our eyes _are_ kinda flat in comparison."

"Pretty much," Roy agreed, waiting for Dick's grip on him to ease and his partner to catch his balance and composure. For Shareth to have done that meant that Dick really was having some of the same problems he was, and that... he wished Dick wasn't, but at the same time, he was a little glad he wasn't the only one. But then, he never was alone, now, and with what Bri had just done... he was pretty sure he'd deal okay with the caves, when Bri could give him fresh air any time he needed it.

 _Yes,_ Brileth agreed, _I will. We will._

 _You're amazing, Bri-love,_ Roy sent, quiet and intent, and Brileth answered, just as soft.

_So are you, my rider._

With all Bri's faith and love so obvious in that mental touch, Roy didn't try to argue... and deep down, where Bri couldn't be upset, he started to believe it.

***

Dinah answered the incoming comm on her handset, standing under her wide-open shutters with her students, explaining what needed to be done with the recovering tubers. "Dinah Wilson," she said easily.

"It's Emily Boll, do you have a few moments?"

"Ma'am?" Dinah asked, surprised to be called directly by one of the colony governors -- especially after how thoroughly she'd raked them both over the coals in the wake of Ned's attempt to share whatever his father had discovered -- then she made herself calm, made her voice steady. Whatever it was, she wanted to know. "For you, of course. Just a second, please?"

She muted the handset and looked at the best of her students, telling him to take over until she came back, and then walked away towards the house, turning the volume back on as soon as she was away from them. "I'm sorry about that, I was in the middle of a lesson. What can I do for you?"

"Forgive me for starting out towards your stake without calling first, given that I'm bringing lunch, and spare me an hour or so? I need to speak with you."

Dinah stared at her handset, taking a slow breath, then said lightly, "Any meal I don't have to cook myself is a welcome one, and there's nothing to forgive. When will you arrive?"

"An hour or so from now, I can't push the sled at all, it's barely back up from this last Fall," the governor's voice was wry, and Dinah hummed her agreement.

"I'll see you in an hour, then," she agreed, and jogged back to her students, mentally coming up with tasks to fill up the time she would be occupied. Maybe the governor had decided to see reason and needed her expertise with whatever Ted had managed, she half-hoped, before she sternly put it out of her mind. There was no sense in trying to figure out what lay behind this visit until Boll was actually there, not when she had work to do.

She could, and would, discover anything Ted Tubberman had. All she needed was to apply herself, she kept telling herself. Re-inventing the wheel was never her favorite way to work, but without a way to get to Ted and his notes... she had little choice.

The hour passed incredibly quickly, and at the sound of the sled she left her lesson and headed towards her small sled, waiting for the governor to land. Once she had, Dinah moved quickly to the door, reaching up to help her with the lunch basket and thermos. "Good afternoon, governor."

"Hello, Dinah... you're just using Wilson? So many with hyphenated names, or merged familial names now," Emily blathered, knew it was blathering, but the reason for her visit was pressing.

Dinah smiled at her, hearing the nervousness in the governor's voice with a great deal of curiosity. "We didn't really want a whole lot of announcement, but... it suits Slade and I. Won't you come in? I know it's warmer in Landing, but the sun's still powerful."

Emily shaded her eyes and looked up, then nodded. "Seems a good idea. Never did tan that well before coming here, and hasn't gotten all that better." She walked alongside Dinah to the house, preceding her when Dinah paused for that reason, through the door.

Dinah pulled the door shut behind them, setting the basket down so that she could go on towards the fridge unit. "Can I offer you a drink, since you brought lunch?"

"Water with some of that citrus you promoted so early on here?" Emily asked, starting the process of unpacking the food Pierre had crafted for this interview.

"Of course," Dinah agreed and reached in to pull out the pitcher and pour for them both, carrying two glasses to the table being set. It only took a moment for her to see that Pierre had sent his own dishes along -- and for Landing's master chef to have been involved with this meal... what did they want?

Hope flicked into the house, lighting on the pad on her shoulder and cheeping inquisitively at the food being set out, and Dinah shook her head, a moment's laughter in her throat. "No, it is not for you, greedy miss. Go on back to your sun, now."

Hope cheeped accusingly, images of Dinah withholding treats forefront in her mind, and Emily smiled at that.

"Not much different than a young child in some ways. So sure they are missing out." The governor shook her head. "With what I brought, there may be some left at the end for her."

Dinah smiled at those words, even though they rapped sharply against old wounds -- it was totally unintentional, she knew full well -- and said, "If there is, _then_ she can have some, of course. Go on, Hope."

Hope gave a small cheep and vanished, going back to where Major... as exhausted as Slade was these days... was still sleeping like a rock in the sun. He did not much care for the mines or foundries, with their dark, dank, dinning environment.

Dinah settled at the table then, looking across it at the governor. "Shall we enjoy the food before it loses any more heat, or have whatever conversation you've left Landing for first?"

"Food first. I promise what I have come about won't spoil it in your stomach," Emily told her. "But the bisque... made with some of your tubers even... is excellent."

Dinah smiled at that. "All right, then," and after a moment's quiet, she reached to start in on the meal.

Emily reran the need through her mind, getting all of her arguments ready in case the stubborn agronomist -- botanist, actually -- balked. They needed this, and the fact Dinah had publicly fought them on the issue of Tubberman's lands would actually help make it work better. The polarization of their society between autonomists and centralists could not be helped, yet both Wilsons were regarded fairly by both sides.

Dinah made quiet compliments as they ate, but otherwise the meal went in silence until they had only scraps left. Then she looked at the governor again, folding her hands on the table.

"You know the volcanos are growing solidly active, yes?" Emily began. "And there have been more arguments over supplies, central authority, stakes, and the like?"

"Of course," Dinah said, nodding. "It's been a problem since that very first Threadfall, and it's only gone up and down ever since. I haven't exactly been subtle about the fact that I am _far_ more a proponent of keeping as much of our autonomy as possible, or that I am not going to leave my land and fields for anything short of total catastrophe. I am grateful for what you and the admiral have done -- mostly -- but... This is my home now, and I've lost enough of those. So, what brings you to me?"

Emily again knew she had chosen the right person, above Paul's preference for those out on Ierne Island. This stubborn tenacity and the fact that the the autonomy issue was close at heart would make Dinah the right person in the end. "We need to move what central government there is, establish a stable community elsewhere. Now... hear me out," she had to say quickly, lifting one hand slightly at the way Dinah's expression hardened, shaking her head a little. Oh, she'd definitely chosen right.

"We are not going to make it mandatory to move. Current stockpiles will be divided on a percentage of population basis, and that will be and end to rumors of hoarding by our government. However, to make this work when we only have the ships as communication relays, we need a single stake to take point, be willing to be the communication center for the South, as the proposed new location is in the North."

Dinah nodded. That made sense -- and it was a better arrangement than she'd really expected to have come out of whatever Admin was thinking. Divide the stockpiles between the two continents, setup relays between the ships and whatever northern settlement they found and a stake... A stake, and the governor was here?

Oh, no. She didn't want this, she really didn't want this, but -- and maybe she was reading too much into Emily's arrival. She nodded silently, encouraging her to go on.

The governor took a breath. "Those who wish stay centralized go with us, with the supplies based on percentage, and begin carving out new stakes from the point we've chosen, with an eventual expansion across the continent if those dragons work out. Some have already left for the general area, and we'll work with them. Those who wish to remain in the south will, and will thrive, we hope. However, the option to come north will be there, once spring arrives up there, which would fall on the tail end of your harvest."

"They'll work out," Dinah said firmly. She had all the faith in the world that her boys and the rest of the young men and women that had Impressed would make a success of it. "That... that sounds like a good plan. It's even-handed, and it makes sense. I know the caves up North are tempting to some, but I'm glad to hear that Admin isn't going to try and push those of us that want to stay where we've settled into going with you. We can do this, _here_.

"Since you're here, though... You want to make my stake that central point? We're not exactly set up to handle that -- I'm barely keeping on top of my students' needs as it is..."

Emily nodded at those concerns. "I can and will pull material and manpower to get living arrangements made for your school; these young people you are training are vital to our future!" the governor said. "But as to the communication issues, I've got a young man in mind who is already complaining about the cold of the Cave system we have all but settled on for the new Admin."

Dinah blinked, cocking her head to the side... then it clicked. "Jake Chernoff? Slade's fond of him, that should work well. Joel would go with you, yes? Who would you put in charge of the stores left here -- and how in the names of everything are we going to manage to move it all? And to where?"

Emily considered. "Use caves, like we will in the north? And see if those dragons mind a little push and shift?" She then nodded. "And yes, Jake. As for your new quartermaster, since both your boys have dragons, we'll just have to cast about for a likely young person to take that on."

Dinah paused for a moment, surprised. "Have they started flying, then?" //Without telling me?// No, there was no way they wouldn't tell her... but if they hadn't, what did the governor mean? She didn't actually know many of the young people of Landing or the stakes all that well, but she was damn near certain that Joel Lilencamp would pick the right person to succeed him -- if anyone actually could do what he did, that was. She nodded. "That makes sense. We wouldn't have to have the stores here, even, as long as we had a good comm relay between them and here..."

"The flows are supposed to avoid the cave area, no matter which one blows its top," Emily said. "It would be a short distance for those young folks and their dragons to drag or carry the supplies left behind. I've noticed they can walk on their back legs, but if it's not practical, maybe young Connell could ask Red to loan him a few pack horses and wagons..."

"If they're working for all of us, I don't think it should be Sean's job to get assistance moving the supplies," Dinah said, keeping her voice as mild as possible. She tapped her fingers against the table, thinking over the options they needed.

The governor looked surprised. "I just thought the request would be easier to stomach from his son-in-law, is all, Dinah. But if necessary, I personally will ask."

"I know Sorka much better than I know Red, even as much as I've worked with the vets on trying to figure out the best foodstocks for our animals, but... maybe you're right." She shrugged a little. Somehow, in all of this, Sean and Sorka had managed to slip into the niche Roy and Dick had first carved into her heart, and she wasn't going to see them more burdened than they already were. And given that the hopes of all of Pern were resting right on their shoulders already...

She started ticking items off on her fingers. "Settle a quartermaster and the stores that are staying there outside of Landing, in the caves close to the dragons, get Jake and comm equipment set up down here, figure out the quickest ways to the other stakes that are going to remain -- what am I not thinking of?"

"Breathe? That's what Pierre tells me." Emily shook her head. "I'll talk to Zi... no, Ezra right now." She swallowed, pushing back the burst of fury and concern again. Zi would get better, she knew he would. He was strong, it would just take time. "We'll sort comm gear, get it set at as many stakes as possible once we know who is staying and who is going. We do need to find a lower tech version of the comm gear though..." she said thoughtfully.

Dinah had to laugh at those first words, her mouth crooking wryly as she nodded. Those last thoughtful words made her hum a couple of notes, thinking. "Any idea what they used on Iota, before the war? I know they had a fairly widespread population and some pretty rugged terrain. Slade would know."

"I don't, but we are very fortunate for his practical experience, Dinah," Emily said firmly, before starting the packing of her basket. "I've taken quite a bit of your time, and there is work to do."

Dinah nodded and stood to help her, trying to wrap her head around the idea that somehow she -- and Jake, and she dearly hoped she could get along with him as well as Slade did -- and whoever Joel picked were somehow going to wind up running logistics for this entire continent. Great stars, what had she gotten herself into?

***

 _I hurt,_ Carenath said unhappily, sprawling up on the still sun-touched peak above the caves they used. It wasn't much of a peak, but the jutting rock was popular with the dragons.

"Polenth is complaining about his thighs," David said across the way. "Yours?" He looked to Sean and Dick both.

"Carenath hurts," Sean said, even as he tried to soothe his bronze's aches, "I mean, so do I, but... that's one thing. **Them** hurting is another."

"Aye that," Dick agreed. "And yeah David, Shareth is not happy about how much his legs ache." He stretched, laying back against the rock behind him, then lifted his head. "We have numbweed down in the caves? It'd help at least a little."

The reaction from all three dragons about not walking again was plain, despite the fact that each dragon had learned to only speak to his own rider over time.

"Wouldn't hurt at all if we weren't making them move in ways they're not meant to!" Sean growled, angrily flicking commands to his fair of lizards. They at least were relieved that it wasn't time to feed the big ones again, and appeared promptly with pots of the salve. "Vets and bios thinking they know my dragon better than me! Another year?! Pern can't take that."

"Not another year, just til they are a year," David said, but he echoed the sentiment. That was months away, and yet the wingspan to height and length ratios seemed even with the lizard's proportions.

Dick sighed, low in his throat, and leaned back again, stretching out the kink in his back. "I know, Sean, we all know. But you're right, asking them to walk like this -- it's not what they were made for, and it's hurting them." _Sharrie, love, come back down here so I can rub you down? It'll make your legs stop hurting so much,_ he coaxed his reluctant bronze down to him.

Watching Shareth leap into the air and glide down, covering the distance between them so quickly, just made him even more on Sean's side than he already had been, and he pushed to his own feet to get brushes and start painting the numbweed onto his dragon's sore limbs.

"They're ready," Sean said, firmly convinced. "We can't keep bowing to other opinions. We're the ones who have to make this work," he added. "The ones who will face that menace and make our world safe."

"Got no doubt... Polenth wants to go on down before I rub it on. Wants his sleeping sand already around him so the grit doesn't stick," David said as the bronze stood up slow and gingerly. He reached for a pot and brush, before Polenth decided a glide down was far easier, no matter that it was technically higher than the vets liked the dragons to fall from. "Hey you're going to have to wait on me!" David shouted before heading down the path as fast as he could.

David took off, Shareth was taking up most of the space where the three of them had been stretched out, and Sean -- Sean was starting to climb the distance between himself and Carenath, a determined set to his shoulders that Dick was all too familiar with. "Sean?" he called up after him.

"They can fly. We weigh... so little compared to what we just asked them to move on their legs. Those wings are made to carry the weight, not the legs!" Sean growled, set and determined that Carenath never hurt like this again.

 _It is the proper thing to do for dragons and riders,_ Shareth sent, shifting just a little on his haunches as, up above, Carenath stretched, his wings flapping eagerly.

Dick took a breath -- but he didn't agree with the vets any more than Sean did, and if he never felt Sharrie hurt like this again it would be too soon. Sean was right, completely right -- and hell if he was going to argue with him, with them. "Just don't break your neck, all right?"

"Not my neck I worry about," Sean flipped back at him, totally made up in his own mind to do this. He approached Carenath, refusing to feel awkward as he found a way to get astride without hurting his dragon worse. Carenath held out one forelimb and dipped down, making the mounting easy, and Sean settled into the dip of the last neck ridge, wrapping his legs down around his dragon's neck.

 _We fly!_ Carenath declared, making certain Sean was holding on just before he tumbled off into the air, powerful stroke of his wings pushing them up rather than rely solely on a glide.

That first surge up, fighting gravity, was one thing... but then they dropped and Sean felt his stomach up in his throat. He was almost certain that his heart had skipped one or two beats, the old terror of free-fall raising its head, but then Carenath crooned, filling his mind and rumbling against his legs.

_I have you. I would never drop you._

Shareth watched the virgin flight, then swiveled his head back to Dick, curious if they would follow suit. _I don't hurt in my spring, not enough to miss a jump,_ Sharrie hinted.

 _You want to? You sure?_ Dick asked, his hand rubbing lightly at his bronze's nose.

 _It is the right thing to do_ , Shareth rumbled, shifting from foot to foot. _I do not like walking. We fly?_

 _Okay, Shareth,_ Dick said as he looked at his dragon. "Sean's sitting back, that looks right -- less strain on your neck. Just means I need to get up there..."

Shareth stuck his forelimb out, dropping as low as he could. _Like this,_ he said, nudging at his rider in his eagerness to go. Dick nodded and wrapped his hand up around the neck-ridge, stepping onto Shareth's leg to swing astride.

"You got enough room to drop from here, buddy?"

Even as he asked it, Shareth sprung off the ledge, wings snapping open just behind his legs and beating hard.

Sean heard the snap of wings dimly, lost in the sheer awe of dragon wings and air all around him. There was too much open, but Carenath was there. The ground was so far away, but Carenath had him. There was all of Pern, and it was in their grasp. Sean let an exultant yell slip free as the sheer magnitude of what he was doing finally settled in his mind. The dragons could, would fly with them! Now, one step at a time, they were on their way to saving their home from Thread.

Dick heard Sean's yell, his hands wrapped around Shareth's smooth neck ridge, and lifted his voice to join him -- once he could breathe again from that stomach-turning free-fall drop between the powerful beats of his dragon's wings. He glanced down, seeing the expanse of Thread-bared earth below them, and had to suck another breath. Then Shareth banked, the entire world tilting, and despite all his years in the air, all he could do was hang on with everything he had.

 _I would not let you fall,_ Shareth protested his fear, _we are flying!_

"I know, but your neck is slick, Sharrie!" Dick said, his heart pounding, "wasn't expecting the tilt, either."

 _Carenath said to turn, that Faranth wants to know what we are doing,_ Shareth relayed, a touch of sulkiness in his words.

"What'd Carenath tell her?"

_That walking hurts and we are flying._

"Great, Sorka's gonna pin his ears back, and mine," Dick grumbled. "Come on, home, Sharrie. We'll fly more, every day!" he added against that sulky resistance to the idea of dropping to the ground again.

Ahead, Carenath turned and Dick could see Sean clutching frantically for his own hold. Yeah, flying was going to be what they did, but somehow the human side of fearing falling needed addressed.

 _Our ears are inside,_ Shareth said, perfectly innocent -- if one couldn't feel the amusement behind it, anyway.

"Yeah, but mine aren't," Dick replied with a snort, looking down at where they were. That was one of the hunting grounds they used, a good half-hour's walk from the caves -- Jays, but they were fast!

 _We are, aren't we?_ Shareth said, pleased and happy as he flew back towards home, spreading his wings to glide.

Landing -- landing was interesting, the back-winging it took for Shareth and Carenath to stop their momentum nearly tossing he and Sean both off, but they held on.

Alerted by Faranth, Sorka, or their own dragons, the rest of the riders were coming out of the caves at a run, David's glare nearly enough to strip their hide off.

"Jays but you couldn't have warned a guy?!" David yelled over Sorka's quieter, "What were you thinking, Sean Connell?!"

"That dragons fly!" Sean declared, not moving from his seat atop Carenath's neck. He then looked a little sheepish, and looked at his mate first. "Someone's going to have to figure out some reins -- or no, not reins, Carenath doesn't need them -- and stirrups! I trust my dragon to no end, but someone forgot to let the back of my brain in on that fact!"

"Agreed!" Dick called back, ready to defend his friend and their precipitous actions.

"Well, get down here so we can, then," Sorka said, not fully mollified, but knowing she should have seen this coming.

Dick swung down, swinging his arm up around Shareth's neck in a hug before he headed into the circle of the other riders. "Okay, everybody, inside so we can talk easier, maybe sketch out some designs -- 'cause a normal saddle's sure not going to work."

Sorka snorted at that. "No, really? A dragon's back is full of wing."

"Rigging straps," Otto said as they started to head inside. "Waist belt clipped to something around the dragon's neck?"

"Not a yoke," Roy said as he came running up... he'd been cataloguing and last to arrive. "Got to keep the pressure off their throat," he said, making his way to Dick's side -- where he promptly jabbed a fist into his ribs. "Bri's jealous and so'm I!" he told his partner as they walked.

"Something non-synthetic, to keep Joel from yelling about us depleting Stores, even if we've a right to what's being left for our Continent!" David pointed up.

"Hide," Sean said, nodding. "Better for their necks anyway, but Otto's on the right track, Roy," he said as he grabbed a sheet of plas and a marker, sketching out the familiar shape of their dragons' necks and wings. "Best place to sit felt like it was that very last neck ridge, or maybe the one before, so wrap a good, thick strap of hide here, and here. Our weight's on their backs, close to their shoulders. Put a wide belt around our waists, clip straps... four-point? Two forward, over the thighs, and two back, so if we slide, they've got less weight at any one spot."

"Dick?" Roy asked, looking it over. It looked sound to him, with the wing dynamics, but Dick had actually been up and riding.

"Chest reinforcement, like a horse harness, come down, catch a belly strap that's fitted behind the wings? The way the straps get a little more stability, since we'll be flying into the wind and those things," Dick suggested.

Sorka took the marker and started sketching that in, able to see it from when her Da had had a show team back on Earth, so long ago, of matched blacks. "This kind of rigging?" she asked for clarification.

"Looks like what I'm thinking, yeah," Dick agreed, "maybe a fifth strap from center back of the waist belt to the top of that belly strap? It'd be harder to clip, but it'd keep more of our weight off their throats if we tumble.... The other thing we need, bad, is _goggles_. We weren't up but a few minutes, and the wind was making my eyes water something fierce. You, Sean?"

"Yeah, but what do we get them made them out of when there's likely to be hot char in the air?" Sean asked, considering the obstacles to getting good grade plastic. "May need to find a glass maker, just to be on the safe side of that one."

Cathy giggled a little. "I know one... he tried to ask me to dance last time we held a Bonfire."

"I'm sure if we all put a mind to it, we can come up with any specialists we need," Marco offered as they settled in to work out the gear that would be needed.

***

Once they had the design for the harnesses and goggles as worked out as they could, Sean and Dick headed for Landing and Red, Pol, and Bay. Flying the sled back to Landing was such a letdown after the exhilaration of riding Carenath and Shareth, but they weren't going to risk a flight that long without the gear they needed. Privately, Dick would admit he'd thought about it, but he really didn't want to deal with Sorka and Roy both trying to throttle him. It also wouldn't be smart to push all of the vet and xenobios' buttons that hard.

"We just tell them what needs doing." Sean looked hard at his right hand. "We're not pussyfooting around anymore. From what I heard is being planned for Admin, we need to get to the bottom of the dragons' skills, get trained, and be ready as soon as we can."

"You heard the same thing I did, about the same time -- last time we were on the comm with Dinah and she was checking on us," Dick said with a snort at the only man other than Slade he ever flat-out obeyed, and no matter that Sean was years younger. He nodded at the rest of Sean's words. "You're right, we do. So... let's go do this -- without pissing them off just because we can, all right?"

Sean shrugged noncommittally to that as he readied for a fight, if that was what it took. His mindset, despite years of getting on with little fight save out of his father, had never been convinced he could have what he wanted until he had carved it out for himself.

Dick walked along beside him, pulling up every ounce of steady, calm determination he'd ever learned from Slade and letting it bleed into the way he moved. They needed to come into this chat from as much a position of strength as possible, and that meant carrying themselves with all the maturity they had. He stayed a half-step behind Sean as they walked into the building, glancing at the first of the techs they saw in the hall. "Hey, where're Pol and Bay?" he called mildly.

"Just back from checking on the new eggs on the sands again, entering notes with Aivas," Becca replied, still on the move. "Hi Dick, Hi Sean. See you later."

"Later," Dick answered, because Sean was already moving. Sometimes his stubborn, fierce determination was a great thing, but Dick was worrying this time it might come off too strong.

It was Bay who looked up from the subsidiary Aivas interface, smiling when she saw the boys. "I think this batch may yet hold promising candidates for your enclave!" she said enthusiastically, the very note that was so often missing now if and when the Admiral made an effort to look into Sean's people.

Dick smiled back at Bay -- it was hard not to smile at Bay, she was always so just plain _nice_ \-- and said, "I'm glad to hear it, Bay. We need to talk to you and Pol -- and Red, if we can get him over here. If not, we'll track him down as soon as we're done, okay?"

Pol lifted his head from his screen, looking towards them, "What -- what's wrong, Sean, Dick? Are all of the dragons all right?" He pushed to his feet to come towards them in the next moment.

"They're more than fine. Gluttons on the wing," Sean said, both to prime his speech and because it was true.

"I'll send for Red while Pol gets us some drinks and sandwiches!" Bay said, sending her gold to find the veterinarian.

"I get kitchen duty again," Pol griped, but paused as Dick opened his mouth.

"Well, barring how sore they are from trying to help us move material into the caves from Stores, they're great," Dick said, moving towards the larger of the open tables. "Sean's right, though, they're still eating everything we'll let them have. Haven't changed a lot in height or wingspan in the last couple of weeks, just deepening in the shoulder and haunch."

"Not much change in height, despite still eating?" Bay said, curious at that, then she saw Pol still standing there. "Oh, all right, I promise to hush until you get back, Pol."

"Once said is easier," Sean commented. "And sandwiches would be good; we were up early with little time to eat."

"I'll make them thick," Pol said wryly, always fond of the young man and his responsible ways.

"So since we can't talk on the dragons, tell me how Sorka and the baby are," Bay insisted, but she focused on Dick, knowing Sean somewhat failed at verbally praising anything or anyone.

"Oh, Michael's growing like a weed," Dick said, grinning and affectionate, "driving his poor ma and da half crazy since he likes to sleep in catnaps, but he's a good baby. Sorka's fine, she's figuring out how to keep the lot of us organized -- which I don't envy her a bit!"

"She's always had a touch for that," Bay acknowledged. "And you have a fine spread of talents among that group, so she'd have help."

Sean snorted; the dragons had picked rugged individuals capable of coming together for projects but also able to survive on their own. Even those like David and Cathy who had been so traumatized, or Nora, who he never would have picked -- but she had a strong, steady mind, and she worked well with Sorka.

"So we do," Dick agreed, flicking a glance at Sean for a moment. It did no good to try to tell Sean to be nice, since he normally thought he was unless he was actively angry about something. "And yeah, she does. Nora's great at it, and Otto's that kind of steady, too."

"I believe, even if psychology is not my strong suit, nor sociology, that you have the nucleus of a very positive environmentally niched grouping," Bay said, choosing her words as carefully as she could. The emphasis on other projects was growing, and this one, the dragons, were being seen as more risk with less outcome. She didn't agree, but she also couldn't change it.

"In other words, we're not far from being left all on our own," Sean said, eyes glinting as he read the nuances too easily from his own paranoia and years of working with Bay.

Dick shifted his weight just a little, closer to Sean, as he heard that same undercurrent, glancing at her to make sure they were both reading her right -- and the unhappy look on her face was pretty much proof positive that they were. "It's okay, Bay. We're doing well, we're settling in pretty nicely, and it is going to be another couple of years before they can chew phosphorous and meet Thread in the sky.

"We might feel like we've been forgotten by most of Admin sometimes, but we do understand."

"We haven't forgotten. But Pol and I think this will be the last attempt at eggs, given the failure rate and Wing Blossom's little misfits," Bay admitted, shaking her head at the mention of the photophobic creatures. "Between supplies, the move, all of it... but Pol and I will never not support you younger people."

"It's fine, really. Makes it easier for us to just take charge of our lives, actually," Sean drawled, reslanting his arguments now that he had confirmation.

Dick relaxed just a little at hearing Sean's tone change, and reached across the table to Bay's hand for a moment, laying his fingers against hers for a moment. "We know you've got our backs, Bay. You always have. So, speaking of the move -- are you going to go North or stay down here with us?"

"Pol hasn't decided. He's scared to let the North or the South go without a solid xenobiologist, and is considering alternating continents based on season, if we can adapt to sea voyaging... or namely myself on that matter, as you may remember, Sean."

"Do. The trip that got you your gold," Sean said. He then looked to the door... to see Red coming in. The vet got a stoic handshake from his son-in-law, while Bay greeted him with an effusive smile.

"Pol should be here any moment with sandwiches," she said.

It wasn't just him that couldn't resist smiling back at Bay, Dick noticed as Red smiled at her, shaking his head a little. "How is it always Pol that winds up bringing the food, Bay? Morning Sean, Dick."

"He's quicker than I am," she replied cheerfully.

"Morning," Dick said, glancing back towards the door. Sure enough, Pol was there in only a few more moments, tray of sandwiches and coffee in his hands. "Thanks, Pol," he said before the tray was even on the table, waiting to see how Sean was going to tackle this now.

Sean let the food get set and each one grabbed for sandwiches... would the bread last much longer, or would they be back to seaweed wraps with Thread killing off the grains? Sean had the grace to let everyone get food in their stomach, then as the meal was coming toward an end, he cleared his throat. "Seems with all the moving and shaking of how things work on this planet, the bureaucracy is proving yet again that they think a project which needs time should be dumped when it doesn't produce results fast enough for them."

"Now, Sean, you're not being 'dumped'," Pol began.

That was _never_ the right tactic to take with Sean, Dick thought, hiding his wince in nothing but a blink of his eyes as he kept an eye on his friend. Looking at Red -- who knew his son-in-law's temper about as well as anyone outside of the other dragonriders could -- would just give away more of what he was thinking than he wanted to, so he just watched for Sean's reaction.

Sean faced Pol squarely. "If you can't see what's plain as the nose on your face, I've made a mistake in trusting you at all these last years, Pol Nietro." He didn't look like he was spoiling for a fight, but those who knew Sean Connell could see the coiled defensive posture easily enough. "Admin's got yammering all around them, and idjits that think new stock can be had in months instead of years. Now, I've been looking after my people all this time, and I'm the hands-on authority about the dragons. And I'm telling you all, not asking, that we're setting to train our dragons starting as of yesterday!"

"That's not what -- "

Bay leaned just enough to put her hand firmly on Pol's shoulder and squeeze, looking at Sean. " _We're_ not dumping you, Sean. Some of Admin doesn't understand agriculture or animals at all, you're right about that, and everyone does want quick solutions that aren't going to happen. And yes, you've been the strongest and the most involved with the care of the fire-lizards and dragons. What happened yesterday that you're pushing the issue on right now?"

"Our dragons spent most of the late afternoon in pain, and we about tore through out numbweed supplies trying to soothe everything they hurt hauling supplies on their paws, is what happened," Dick said before Sean could, giving him a few more seconds to calm himself down while Dick deflected their attention.

"Were they overstrained?" Red asked, worry for the beasts coming through.

"Sure as water's wet, they were, and did it to themselves!" Sean exploded, his worry for Carenath coming through clearly. "They're not meant to move that way, but they all wanted to be fecking useful once the notion got planted in their heads!" He drew in a breath, nose pinching as he tried to bring it under control. "They've got all the shoulder and withers for what they're meant to do, though!"

"Are they any better this morning?" Bay asked instantly, worried for them.

Good. Having Red and Bay -- and Pol, he was just staying quiet -- worried for their partners would help when Sean dropped the bombshell that they'd been up on their backs already, Dick thought before he slipped into the conversation again.

"Shareth was hurting on the ground, but when he went to fly he was a lot better. I know most of the golds and the other bronzes were the same way, and Brileth definitely was. They're just not made for walking, Red, at all. Especially not with loads like we've been trying to shift into the caves."

"So..." Red pushed, thinking he already knew the answer, and carefully not tipping his hand.

"We tested it. Carenath said he was ready, and I believed in him," Sean said. "Dick followed on his, and it worked! Short flight, few downsweeps of the wings before we came in for a landing, but no strain, no pain, and they were... better for it, for having done as they ought!"

"That's one major risk you took, and with our research getting shut down..." Pol began, his rare temper up at the risk to irreplaceable subjects. Bay cleared her throat, and focused on that last comment of Sean's.

"It soothed them on an emotional level to do what they were designed for? I'd say that part of the engineering was a success, then," she said.

"Sharrie couldn't _wait_ to get off the ground once he saw Carenath up," Dick said, grinning at the memory and at Bay. "He must have said 'I do not _like_ walking' three or four times, and then he was saying that being up together was 'the proper thing to do'. Oh, he did not want to come down, at all. He wanted to be sure that we were going to fly more, and he was sulking when we landed. All of the other dragons are _incredibly_ jealous that Carenath and Sharrie have gotten to have us up and they haven't. They're all eager to fly -- but before we do, we've got to have straps to keep us on them."

He shook his head, laughing softly, "Shareth banked, and I nearly saw my life flash before my eyes."

"Hadn't considered that part, but you do use rigging of some kind with nearly every animal that carries or pulls," Red said, keeping his own worries and anger in check. Sean had a point; he was a thoroughly trained veterinarian apprentice and had the hands on experience to match.

"We'll want to come down and look them over, solid physicals," Pol said, his voice reluctant, but he also knew good and well Sean wasn't bending on this. "I'd just as soon not have this be sprung on the Admiral right away."

"Oh no," Sean said, eyes glinting. "I plan to keep mine out of his sight until I can prove the dragons are worth every ounce of sweat and blood given to them!"

"We've got a design for it," Dick said, fishing the sketch of the harness out of a pocket. "We all put our heads to it and think it'll do the job of keeping us secured on their backs -- they say they wouldn't let us fall, but..." he shrugged, "really rather not test that and have one of them get hurt trying to save us, you know?

"And Pol, that'd probably be a good thing, one from your group and one from yours, Red? Just to be sure that they're all right after the last couple of days, and see if there's anything any of them are trying to hide from their riders. They don't normally pull that trick, but they want so badly to be helpful that I'm a little worried about it." He spread the sheet out on the table, centering it between the three older adults to let them look it over.

Bay leaned in, curious as she always was, then shifted back. "As though I know anything about that," she said, chuckling a little at herself as she nudged it towards Red.

Red looked it over, looking at the notes on _why_ this strap or that. "I've got a young man that's been working with native materials, working on the best stitching for them that might be good for you on this," he commented. "And I think Pol, Bay, and I ought to be the ones, keep the noise down to need to know?"

"My thought too," Pol said. "As I can see the need to prove them, but also want to keep them just as safe as you do, Sean Connell!"

Sean didn't deign to reply to that in the least. Dick, on the other hand, nodded at Red, agreeing with the thought. The vets working on harnesses wouldn't raise nearly as much attention at if they showed up at Stores -- no matter that they had credit in plenty with Joel. "The other thing we really need are goggles," he added in, before they kept up with the discussion.

****

The evacuation of Landing was planned to death, or at least, that was what Sean would say later. They had managed to get all of Stores moved, and some critical needs had already been sent on to the North, but Faranth was the one who told them all it had not happened fast enough.

Early in the morning, the second day of the fourth month of their ninth year on Pern, Faranth questioned Sorka as they were emerging from their cave for another day of working to shift what needed shifting, _Why does the mountain smoke?_

"Smoke..." Sorka echoed, before craning her neck to see what her taller dragon had, and sure enough, there was undeniably thick smoke pouring out of one of the volcanic peaks. "Oh no -- Sean!" She looked at her husband, wondering just how this was going to affect their careful use of the dragons' flight capability. Sean had mostly just loaned them out to lift things into the heavy sleds rather than actually use them as donkeys, while they worked on longer flights away from the view of Landing, strengthening their dragons' backs and wings.

Sean stared up at the mountains, taking a slow breath at the sight of the curling black smoke. "...that's not Garben. It's Picchu Peak. Patrice -- was he wrong? Come on, let's go see if Leonid's awake yet, if he's heard anything on the comm set. If not, we stuff Mick in his flying suit and we go to your da. If anyone's got official word, it ought to be him or Pol."

 _Why does it smoke?_ Carenath asked, wanting an answer as much as Faranth did, as Shareth and Brileth stuck their heads out of the lower cave they shared with their riders, not long before Dick and Roy came out to look up, half-dressed if Sean felt like being generous.

"I don't know," Sean said, much as he hated having those words come out of his mouth, "but tell everyone that's waking up to calm down, Carenath. We'll be down in the kitchen as soon as we've gotten whatever the word is out of Landing, meet us there."

"Got you." Roy turned to head back in, wanting more clothes between him and the stuff pouring free. Ash could still burn if there were cinders in it. Dick followed him just as quickly.

"We'll get everyone awake no matter what," Sorka said firmly. "Not going to lay about when there's work, even if Admin hasn't figured it out. We've got a schedule to work from until they change it to match what's happening," she added.

"No sense in us losing our minds about it," Sean retorted, which was all he'd meant by the 'calm down', and then he headed down towards the Stores caves, hearing Sorka right behind him.

He smacked the metal 'bell' that served to warn Leonid that there were people at the cave entrance, and got a quick, "Da, da, I am awake! The comm is saying it is a minor eruption for the moment, details to follow."

"That's a relief," Sorka said. "But this planet has surprised the geology team how many times now?"

"Before we go to Landing, we need to get the door shields in place," Sean muttered. They'd repurposed some metal and stone from abandoned stakes, using finding and moving them back as team flying exercises in between the rest of their work for that reason. "Just in case the wind decides to be just as contrary as the volcanoes."

"Point," Leonid nodded. "I and the comm gear will appreciate it very much, as will the supplies. Ash," he muttered, "It is good for nothing... except sometimes fertilizer."

"Breakfast for everyone, then," Sorka said, rocking on her heels to soothe the baby in her arms, "then that, then we'll see about making it to Landing."

"It's a solid enough plan for now," Sean agreed, going to do his part, knowing Dick and Roy would soon be at his side for the heavy lifting part of their work.

`~`~`~`~`

Those chores done, Roy was quick to volunteer to go into Landing with Sean and Sorka, curious about what Landing knew by this point -- and what Admin was going to be willing to say about the plans to move central Admin up into Telgar's cave now that there was an active threat so close to Landing. Well. One that wasn't falling out of the air on top of them. Flying in behind them, looking at Landing in the glimpses through the powerful beats of dragon wings, he breathed out a startled breath. Curled between the protection of Brileth's neck-ridge and his body, Trouble cheeped a question, turning one half-open eye, green-faceted and content, up at him.

 _Rider?_ Brileth asked the same question he'd seen in Trouble's eye. Just a lot more clearly.

"Ah, nothin', Bri. Just... Landing's starting to look empty again, when just a few months back it was packed way more full than it could actually support."

Sure, the landing field was still fairly full of sleds -- with the almost constant need for maintenance on the sleds that the six-hour stints of Threadfall caused, most of those who lived on outlying stakes just left them at Landing unless there was a specific need for them. Dinah was one of the only ones that kept a sled on hand full time, but with the students she had and her need to get to Landing's technical equipment, that was no surprise. The emptiness was more in the spaces between buildings not being entirely full of people moving between the communal kitchens and the working buildings and in the houses that obviously stood empty again.

_Is that bad, or good?_

"I'm not sure," Roy had to admit. "Good in that there are less people right here under that volcanic ash, and because obviously there are more people back on their stakes. Either Dinah and Slade's shutters are working for people, or even more of them have moved north than I thought.... and we're almost to Sorka's folks, so time for me to get my mind back on business."

 _Will he have meat for us?_ Brileth asked as he stretched his wings to glide down and let his rider get his feet on the ground again.

"Good chance he might," Roy muttered. They weren't going to have time to get all the flocks still at the vet driven to any safe point if those volcanoes all got to being nasty, and at this point, Roy was betting on nothing but worse-case scenarios. This planet, and system, much as he loved them, sure seemed dead-set on trying her new settlers.

 _Good,_ Brileth said contentedly, standing easily while Trouble climbed up to Roy's shoulder as he unclipped his riding straps, then dropped to the ground, rubbing his dragon's shoulder as he did. "Go on and find some sun, if there's meat for you three I'll call."

 _Or Faranth will tell us,_ Brileth agreed and leapt into the air again, chasing Faranth and Carenath up off the ground.

"Or she will," Roy agreed, then scratched at Trouble's shoulder. "Hey, lazybones," he said -- to an indignant cheep -- "Go see if Slade's in Landing? Tell him and Major we're at Mairi's, yeah?"

The brown stretched his wings and sprung from his shoulder, disappearing moments later.

Mairi was glad to see the three of them, welcoming them in to the sight of several more than her usual share of children, all ages, set to bundling and boxing items according to their skill level in the common area. "Had the idea that supplies could be brought here, things dumped off in sacks or blankets, and let them feel useful by getting it packed. The older ones keep an eye on the packing so it's solid," she explained to them, guiding them to the kitchen. "Red's down at the barns, trying to determine if he's got enough hands to drive the beasts all the way over to Caesar's or Paul's."

"Good plan, ma," Sorka said, holding Mick in one arm while she hugged her mother with the other. "Leonid told us it's a minor eruption for the moment, but given how close to the volcanoes we are, we'd really like more information than that!"

Sean winced -- only slightly, but Roy was used to watching him for it -- and shrugged a little when Roy looked at him, mouthing 'later'. Roy shrugged a shoulder back and smiled at Mairi. He was pretty sure he knew what was going through Sean's mind, as Red and Caesar tended to lock horns every time they got near each other. Trying to shift Red's riding-stock towards Caesar's stake wasn't going to end well, but he wasn't sure Paul had the barn space for them, either. "Hey, free the parents from the kids and packing their own homes, involve the kids... Yep, sure sounds like one of your plans."

Mairi smiled wanly. "From what I understand, the plan is to get everything that is left, and everyone, packed up and moved over to an intermediate settlement at Kahrain Cove, since Monaco may well be in the blast radius. Patrice de Broglie is certain something will blow, but he's not sure when. As we'd already been moving toward evac, it's just a sign to step it up. Kahrain's deep enough that Jim Tillek can sail right in, and even Ezra Keroon's ship can get close."

"But priority will be people and things," Sean said, nodding. "Ships will have to cross a couple more times before they would be free to take on the modifications to support shipping livestock."

Roy nodded. That made sense, Kahrain would be a good place to go, probably the best of the options, and anything that would get the ships in tighter to the shore would be one heck of a help with evacuating the animals. "Further from us, but that's okay... what are they going to do with the big equipment? Fuel a couple of the shuttles they haven't started stripping for parts yet? That's going to be a hell of a loading job."

"I don't know," Mairi said, shaking her head, "but probably so. Some of the heavy diagnostic and fabrication equipment couldn't possibly be moved any other way..."

Sorka nodded. "True. Before we leave, go see if Joel needs Dick to help him organize that, Roy?"

"Yeah, I will." He wouldn't like losing his partner to Landing for a few days all that much, but it was better than having Joel getting any more stressed out than he already was. Trying to keep track of three sets of manifests (Stores, the materiel moved to their Caves, and what he was moving north) was starting to seem like it was taxing even Joel's amazing memory. "And I'll check with Fulmar and Vic, too, see if they need help."

Sean looked thoughtful, trying to decide how to come down on this. They were going to need cargo nets, sturdy ones, if the dragons were going to be helpful. He hated the idea of them being donkeys, but at the same time, it would be good training experience for formation flying and the riders getting used to harness time adragonback. Better to choose to pitch in than be ordered to it, also.

"Don't you two get in too deep. Switch Leonid over to Joel for now; our stuff is secure and accounted for. Mairi, you keep us up on where the stuff is being organized at for shifting, and we'll be there to move it on to Kahrain." His eyes were showing the vibrancy of his mind at that moment.

"Sean, love, you're up to something."

"Just planning to make certain the Admin types don't forget the dragons are going to be their future salvation, Sorka. That's all."

"Makes sense," Roy said, nodding a couple of times, grinning back at Sean. He could see exactly what Sean was thinking, and he was on his side about it, too.

Trouble appeared from between, lighting on his quickly upraised wrist with a note held in one set of foreclaws. He grabbed it and uncurled the message, flicking his eyes over it. "Sean, Slade says he's hip-deep in work until about sundown, but he can get free and come talk to us then. Sound good?"

"Yes," Sean said, nodding quickly. Roy was regularly grateful that Sean and Slade had taken to each other as well as they had, and this time was no different. "Ma, you need us for anything before we head for the sheds?"

Mairi shook her head at her son-in-law, reaching for the baby. "No, but I'll keep Mick so you three can be helpful."

"Thank you," Sorka told her, passing her son over and kissing her mother's cheek in passing. "I'll be back for him soon as I can," she promised.

"As though I object to time I get to spoil my grandson in?" Mairi asked, shaking her head at her daughter, too. "Go on, now. Give the dragons a scratch or two for me."

"I can do that!" Roy said cheerfully, grinning at her. "So let's go bust our butts yet again!" he added, throwing himself into the necessity of work.

"No busting anything, hear me," Sean mock-threatened... not actually so much on the mock, really.

****

Despite having had to fly back to Landing again after Slade, it had still been a pretty good day, as far as Roy was concerned. He'd swung past Joel and Fulmar, wound up playing an extra pair of hands for Vic to replace a set of broken components that really wanted four hands to deal with, and spent some time helping Sean find the gear he wanted to add to their usual supply. Slade had intended to just talk to him in Landing, given that he couldn't take the sled out, but Roy hadn't been having that. Not when Sean wanted to hear what Slade had to say. He'd had to reassure Slade that Bri was just _fine_ to carry him, but now they were gliding in to land at their usual spot, Slade's hands securely wrapped around two of his riding straps for a little more stability.

"Not a bit like a sled," Slade said once the wind was down enough so Roy could hear him. "You're certain he's not feeling any strain? I mean a horse of the same build would be tiring with two built like me and you on him."

 _I am well,_ Brileth said, almost too loudly for Roy's comfort --- even as he felt Slade jump behind him.

"Bri, what did -- "

"Kid, your dragon just talked to me. He sounds like you, except, through a wind tunnel, or something. Little lower, but pretty close. I didn't know they did that..." Slade's voice trailed off on the words, the question implicit, and Roy shrugged.

"There right at the very beginning, we could almost hear any of them that were upset, and I know Sorka still hears Carenath just fine, but mostly we only hear our own. Sharrie'll talk to me sometimes, though."

 _You love him,_ Brileth said, more quietly, and Roy knew only he could hear him, _he should not be concerned._

"So surprised at that," Slade said with a snort as Bri's paws hit the stone, arm wrapping around him for a moment. "Okay, so how do I get back down without hurting him?"

"Let me get down and you'll have more room to swing around," Roy said as he unclipped the straps and swung his leg up over Bri's neck so that he could slide down his side. Brileth crouched lower, holding his forelimb out for a step for Slade, and it didn't take but another couple of moments for Slade to be on the ground, too.

Slade paused at Brileth's side, looking up at him, and when Bri's head swung around, Slade said quietly, "Thank you for the trip, Brileth."

 _You are welcome,_ Bri's voice had that louder tone again, and Roy knew full well that Slade had heard him, so he didn't bother to repeat it.

"C'mon, come see what we've done with the place," he urged as Bri headed off to their cave, heading towards the kitchens -- hoping Slade would be pleased at what he saw.

 _Stop worrying,_ Brileth told him, _we have a good home._

_You know that and I know that, love, but --_

_No._

_Fine,_ Roy sent with a snort, leaning into the strength of his dragon's certainty, _have it your way._

 _I shall,_ Brileth said, and went quiet. A good thing, too, as they had just reached the entrance of the communal kitchen, which was both warm from the oven and brightly lit by Pern's native glowing fungi hanging in loosely woven baskets.

In the middle of one of their _many_ discussions on how to best prepare the caves and get power to them, Kathy had come up with that brilliant solution. They'd all seen them when they ventured into caves, since the very first weeks after landing on Pern, and yet it had taken the problem of trying to run Thread-proof electrical cables through lava rock to make them realize that Pern had a perfectly good light source already prepared for them. The light was definitely different than electric or torch light, but with enough glow-globes in a small space, the light was fine even for reading by.

Most of the riders were around the table by the hearth, and Roy noticed that some of them still looked damp from the baths -- well, no surprise, he wanted one, too. Picchu had calmed down a little through the day, but the smoke drifting in the atmosphere had made him incredibly glad for his goggles on every flight he and Brileth had made. No sense in getting cleaned up if he and Bri were going to make another trip, though.

"Hey, all, look who's here!" he called, and heads came up all around. It only took a moment for his friends to start calling out greetings, and for Dick to push up from where he'd been to come sling an arm around Slade's shoulders for a much more personal greeting. Around Slade's, then around his own, and Roy grinned at him before he headed towards his open seat.

"Evening, everyone," Slade said as Dick pulled one of the extra chairs over for him, "all of you alright?"

"We're fine," Sean said after a single quick glance around, "and glad to see you."

"You're glad to see me because I've got your situation report," Slade said, "don't even try and fool me. By the way, who came up with those baskets of the fungi, that's brilliant."

Dick answered that one, "Kathy," even as she shook her head.

"I had the idea," she half-agreed, "but Tarrie and Otto actually figured out how to make them."

"Still brilliant," Slade told her before he leaned back a little in the chair and took a breath. "Things have been hot in all the stakes close to Landing, all day -- Picchu didn't do anything good for people's confidence, and the fact that there wasn't a meeting at the bonfire tonight to explain the situation didn't help the nervous ones' nerves."

"Some of the techs?" Nora guessed, shrugging one shoulder as she smiled wryly, "I have to admit, it scared me a good one when Tenneth woke me up saying the mountain was smoking! Not seeing lava flows helped, but... ash."

Half the table nodded, Slade included. "I'm just as glad that I'll be heading back down to Karachi soon, get away from the thing," he said, making Dick and Roy both stare at him. "Get to that in a minute," Slade promised them, while he nodded at Nora. "Techs, some of the ones with young kids that don't need to be breathing the ash, those that haven't decided which way they're going to go -- North with Admin or shift out to one of the various stakes..."

Otto made a face. "If they've been living in Landing all this time, unless they're real good ground crew, the stakes that're staying with us don't need them."

David quickly echoed that sentiment with a jeer of his own for the Landing citizens, before grinning as Marco opened his mouth.

"They expect to stay, they best be realizing we're heading agrarian, not hanging on to tech," the brown rider said. "My father and Logorides are already combing every resource they can, hunting for the answer to communications that don't rely on the ship-links as satellites."

"It's for the best," Nora offered. "Depend on what we have, since the unexpected came and used our tech resources so much faster than anticipated."

"Jays, don't we all know _that_ ," Dick said, shaking his head a little. "Y'all should hear some of the things Vic says. Anyway, Slade, what else do you know about what's going on?"

Slade leaned back in his chair, thinking that over. "It's been real interesting, the last couple of months, seeing who's heading north into the caves and who's yowling for every square meter of shuttering Drake and I can turn out along with the kids at Karachi. Half of Sadrid's already relocated, few off of Thessaly, couple off Boca River that are leaving." He tapped his fingers against his thigh, reaching for a piece of film and a marker with his other hand. "Here, map might be better for you lot."

Catherine slid both across the table, handing them off so that Slade could start sketching out the coasts and where people still were.

"Thanks," Sean said, moving over towards the table to get a look at the map. "Be a help, once we have the dragons trained up. Don't suppose you know where everyone that's running north is going? Can't be that cave complex Telgar was mentioning, not if Admin's planning on keeping it to protect the mainframes and critical operations...."

"Telgar's found another few pretty close," Slade said, adding in a quick sketch of the upper continent to the top of the sheet and marking in that mountain chain. "Haven't been up there to see them, but from the gossip, I'd say here, here, and here -- and by the way, they're looking at cutting into the caldera there above the crater for you lot, you kn -- "

"They're _what_?"

The startled noise came from half the table at once, most of them staring at Slade as though he'd lost his mind, while the other half stared at Sean, trying to see what he knew about it.

"...you didn't know. Yeah, they're hard at work on that upper caldera, cutting hypocausts and enlarging some of the caves and a closer to ground-level entrance for those of us that can't fly."

"We're not leaving the South," Sean said, his jaw setting hard. "Maybe in 5, 10 years we can shift clutches up there, but I'll be damned if we're going to leave Karachi and your stake and Marco's Da and Jim Tillek without us. They want to hide up under tons of rock, they can just hide under the rock, fly it with sleds if they're that scared. We've got fields and herds to protect, just as soon as our dragons are ready to do it."

Slade shrugged a shoulder. "You know I'm on your side, Sean. Dinah can use every acre you can possibly save for her, and the southern mines are far too good to lose. Well. Now you know, and you can disabuse them of the notion at your leisure."

Dick turned his head away to hide his smile -- when Slade pulled out the five-credit words, he was well and _truly_ annoyed -- from his 'father', glancing at Roy. His lover was smiling just as much, and trying every bit as hard to hide it.

"It does kind of hit in waves, though," Peter said thoughtfully, "might not be bad to have a good, secure base up there close to -- what are they going to call that settlement, Slade? -- Admin that was made for us, not just us tacked on afterwards."

"So maybe we don't burst Admin's bubble until well after they've got it all nice for us," Catherine said, flicking a smile between them, "and after we learn how to teleport with them, what's going to keep us from using both to be wherever we need?"

"Cathy," Sorka said, smiling right back at her, "that's devious and I like it a lot. Maybe once we have a couple of clutches, figure out who likes it up there and who doesn't, split the kids half and half and start building up that way. But that's years ahead still."

Slade nodded at the discussion. He'd figured that Admin had told the kids -- or better yet asked them what they wanted -- and hearing that they hadn't just made him think, again, that at times they were too damned high-handed for the people they were trying to govern through this crisis. "I'll talk the plans for it out of one of the architects, get them to you," he said, tossing his lot in with them again. "And I'm not sure what they're going to be calling it."

Sorka smiled her thanks at him and he shrugged a little in reply.

"So, now that we know that they're being high-handed idiots again, you want to actually tell us what's going on with Dinah?" Roy asked, impatient to hear about everything going on at the stake. "She hasn't said much on the comms, and it's not like either of us have a lot of free time."

Slade snorted. "You say that like she and I are getting to see each other often, Roy. But yeah, I'll tell you what I know. Only she could forget to tell me that Admin was going to be putting up a barracks for the botany students she's training until I headed home and there was scaffolding way closer to the house than I'd intended to put the next barn!"

"She what?" Roy was goggle-eyed at that; Dinah could be pretty forgetful in her single-mindedness, but that kind of decision without the other major stakeholder, let alone when he was her married partner, seemed a bit much.

"She's likely had as much dumped on her as Ma's been dealing with to keep this whole thing moving smooth," Sorka soothed Roy.

Slade shrugged a shoulder, amused and affectionate. "She is. I think she tried to get hold of me at some point when I was off the comm and then forgot she hadn't gotten me. No big deal, it's the best place for it, and I like it a lot better than having them underfoot in the house. They're still putting in the last of Jake's full comm system, and he's in heaven. Your brother really hates the cold, Tarrie."

"Oh, I know. The hotter it is, the happier he is. Peter's almost as bad, but if Jake's staying with you, he's going to wind up having to go north. That's going to be such a joy to listen to." She snorted, amused and wry.

Roy exchanged a look with Dick, wanting to ask a question, but unsure how to phrase it. Slade seemed to be handling the shake-ups at their stake well enough, but... once things settled, Roy worried how they would handle having so many people around that were not family.

Dick saw the worry, and thought he knew part of the underlying reason, so he looked over at Slade. "How's Dinah managing with the students and Jake being around so much now?" he asked, to see if Slade had gotten a feel for that part of things.

Slade thought about it for a few seconds, tapping his fingertips against the table. "Think she's all right. Looking forward to getting those first couple of her apprentices fully certified so that they can take part of the load. Think she was damned glad when Jim Tillek commed her to say that they were trying to figure out how to get part of the Landing population that wants to stay south over there on the Paradise where they're putting the harbor in. She's not that crazy about crowds any more."

Marco snorted. "Better Tillek than dad, that's for certain. I like some of 'em well enough, but -- "

"Ranch hands, they're not," was Otto's commentary. "Or farm hands, which're what Mrs. Wilson really need, yeah?"

"Yeah," Dick and Roy said in unison, then grinned. "Or at least long enough so they can go elsewhere and leave her with her plants. They don't talk back to her," Roy finished.

"Well, she's enough sass for three," Sean said, perfectly even if not for the amusement in his eyes, making Slade laugh.

"Truth, there. So tell me what you lot have been up to," Slade invited, glancing between them as he settled in.

"Hauling," came in twenty-part harmony, immediately followed by a half-sheepish burst of laughter from most of them, before they started into the details.

+++

Living underneath an active volcano was no real joy for anyone -- but at least it was getting everyone that didn't have to be in Landing the heck _out_ already, mostly by the smallest of the boats. The biggest ships, the _Southern Cross_ and Ezra's, were moving cargo that wouldn't fit into the sleds, long hauls across the currents that none of them envied. It seemed as though every new ash flow and every rock shower drove more away, emptying stakes and Squares by the week.

Nearly two months into the evacuation, the last thing Sorka was expecting as she was seeing to drying some of the latest packtail her fair had caught, was for Bay's queen fire-lizard Mariah to flutter into the caves, cheeping insistently and holding the note tied to her right forepaw.

"Mariah?" Sorka asked, startled, calling out across the cave, "Roy, come get this note from Mariah while I get cleaned this up!"

The redhead jogged across from where he'd been sewing a replacement for one of his riding straps, crooning to the gold softly, "Here, Mariahgirl, let me see -- yes, I _know_ you want Sorka--" he said, all exasperated, "but her hands are messy, so give it over and I'll read it to her."

She cheeped indignantly at him, making Trouble chirp at her, then she lit on his wrist and held up the note for him. "Bay needs you, Sorka," he called to her, startled. "Something she didn't want to put over a comm line? She's asking for you and Sean both, too."

"Well, Sean's halfway to Drake's Lake with Marco and Tarrie, hunting," Sorka said, shaking her head, "so you're going to have to go with me."

"Drop Mick at your mom's on the way?" Roy asked, already heading towards the baby's crib to get him tucked into the newest flying sack -- they were going to be sewing a ton of those, he was just fairly sure, with the way Mick kept growing out of them, but wher-hide leather was too much work to sew baby-clothes out of.

"Since Leonid wouldn't appreciate me dropping the baby on him, yeah," Sorka agreed, drying her hands as Mariah bounced over to her shoulder, rubbing at her jaw. "Yes, Mariah. We'll be right there."

The gold cheeped demandingly, then vanished, and Sorka shook her head as she grabbed her leathers and reached out for her son. Roy handed Mick over, after a quick peck on the baby's cheek, grinning at Sorka for her exasperatedly affectionate look at him. Roy was possibly the worst of all the riders at spoiling the baby when he had free time. Sorka settled the riding sack over her shoulders, so her hands were free for her riding harness.

"I wonder what's got Bay so agitated," the brown rider queried on their way to the dragons.

"You're the one that read the message, you'd know more than I do," Sorka said as she shook her head, throwing her riding gear up over Faranth's neck and buckling it into place. "So let's go find out."

"If she wasn't willing to put it to comms.... let's leave Bri and Farrie at your ma's and run over to her place, yeah?"

"Sounds like a plan; no sense advertising we're over there if she's being discreet." Sorka got the harness buckled quickly, and then was up Faranth's leg and settling with the ease of all their practise since the evacuation had gone into full swing.

Roy was up a breath behind her, and the two of them headed for Landing at the fastest clip their dragons' wings could reach.

***

Sorka jogged up to Bay's door -- and didn't even get to touch it before it was pulled open, Bay standing back to let them in, headscarf already firmly tied on her head and worry on her expressive face.

"Thank you for coming, Sorka, Roy. Come in -- where are your beauties?"

"You wouldn't put it to comm or even paper, Bay," Sorka pointed out. "They're over at ma's, waiting."

"So what's wrong?" Roy asked, seeing the uneasy expression on Pol's face behind her.

"Oh, bless your brilliance," Bay said, deeply relieved, her arms wrapping around Sorka for a moment. "Mary Tubberman just called me, nearly frantic. There's trouble on her stake. Some kind of 'creatures' are loose, and she thinks something has happened to Ted. She's worried for the children. Will you take us there?"

"Of course we will," was Roy's answer on top of Sorka's, "Yes, Bay." Roy got a fierce look on his face after. "The way that whole thing was handled was wrong and endangered all of us. If something's gone even more wrong, we've got a duty to Mary and Petey, no matter what the Admiral thinks."

"We just... I have to agree, even if I don't know what else could have been done," Pol said, grabbing up the heavy jackets they'd had made for the rare dragon flights, following both riders and his partner out of the house.

"Shunning him was a good idea," Sorka opined. "But it got pushed too far by leading to his family growing isolated too."

Bay nodded her agreement, jogging beside the two lithe riders determinedly. Mariah landed on her shoulder, then promptly took off again at the jolting motion, cheeping in annoyance. "I didn't like it then, I don't like it now, and Mary sounded nearly hysterical..." her words were choppy with her gait, but she was not about to waste any more time.

"It's a surprise she's not completely crazy," Roy said, "With the way she's been treated all this time."

They fell quiet until they reached Mairi's, Brileth and Faranth craning their necks around to see.

"Come on, Bay, up with me," Sorka said, stepping up onto her dragon to put a hand down for her. "Faranth, give Bay your leg, please."

"Guess that means you're with me, Pol," Roy said, before he tensed a little. "You said creatures." He closed his eyes, concentrating intently, calling Trouble to him. The brown popped into existence above him, cheeping a question. "My bow, Trouble. I need my bow, and the quiver. They're in my room, you know where..." as he spoke, he envisioned the bow and quiver leaning against the wall of their cave.

 _I could go there,_ Brileth said, even as Trouble winked out. _I see where you want to go -- it is home._

 _You... that... No, it would scare Faranth. Trouble can get them, two trips._ It was something to hold on to, to tell Sean later. If that was all it took... He had to remember to tell that to his friend. They'd always concentrated on things for the lizards, or people, but of course the dragon, being bigger, would need to see the place more clearly to know where they wanted to go. _Tell Faranth if we get there before I have both bow and quiver to just circle; I don't want us down on the ground without them._

Brileth rumbled, watching Faranth start south without them. It didn't take but a few seconds before Trouble was back with the bow -- and Chakano had the quiver, a bare breath behind him. He secured them along the riding straps, hanging from either thigh, and looked over his shoulder for a second. "Hang on, Pol, here we go."

"I can do that," Pol remarked dryly as he had the straps in a death grip. He trusted the rider and the dragon, but had discovered he was as much a product of the technological age as he could be, finding flight exhilarating but also nervous-making.

Roy chuckled softly and asked Bri to launch, heading him towards Faranth's quickly-vanishing form and Calusa beyond. He wished for the best comm gear they had, wanting to be able to talk theories with Pol, but the wind was just too strong. They'd have to talk once they landed.

That thought lasted exactly as long as it took for them to be able to see the Tubberman stake, _Bri, we don't land!_

 _No. Faranth says no, also,_ his dragon agreed as they circled, looking down at the damage.

Outside of the main house, an L-shaped outbuilding had enclosures reaching away from it, fenced and roofed. One of the outside walls and a portion of the roof had been violently forced outward, and through that hole they could see that interior partitions had also been smashed down.

"The _hell_ could have done that?" Roy asked aloud, looking over his shoulder at Pol as they glided in a circle.

"I'm not sure, but... remember after the first shake, the one that we were so worried about the dragon embryos? We never did catalogue what genetic materials were actually missing, though it looked like the canids and felids were far more disturbed than the rest," Pol said, casting back for the concept of anything that could exist on Pern capable of this. Maybe Wind Blossom's photophobes, but she had all four of them carefully contained, and could not have been near Tubberman with them. "Mary said he'd stolen some of them... Not what kind, but those were the ones that were shaken so badly."

"Surely he'd... He's no biologist!" Roy exploded as he followed the thought. The idea of breeding up any of the heavy predators on a world that already had nasty enough surprises was nothing Roy wanted to imagine. His eyes started scanning the grounds as best he could, gathering his chosen weapon and nocking a broadhead arrow... just in case.

"No, but Mary did say 'those beasts of his'..." Pol said, shrugging half-helplessly.

"Scorch the good-for-nothing -- " Roy shook his head.

 _Faranth wants Trouble and Chakano to go with Duke and Blazer inside to see,_ Brileth said, and Roy wasted no time sending them along.

Scarce heartbeats later, they were back out -- many others with them, chittering and cheeping, wings flapping as they spun in fairs around the still-circling dragons, images chaotic and threatening.

Brileth growled, vibrating skin and muscle all through his neck and chest, and Roy could almost feel the lashing of his tail. _There is something inside, and more outside. Something that has spots, and a bigger thing that is quiet._

"...is he... growling?" Pol asked, and Roy could hear how startled he was.

"Yeah. He says there are beasts down there -- let me talk to Sorka through Faranth a minute, Pol."

_Bri, tell Sorka I want more than a bow for multiple beasts. Tranq guns would be good so we can see what the hell the man has done, and I'd like backup, too._

After a moment of Brileth conveying this all to Faranth, the gold took herself slightly higher, finding the right altitude that would allow gliding and observation both, a sign that Sorka had agreed even before Brileth bespoke Roy.

 _Sorka is calling the ones who hunt best. They will bring what is needed._ Brileth flicked images of David and Peter and Nyassa at Roy. Those three were all closer to Calusa than most of the others, except possibly Nora, but Nora was not the strongest backup for killing animals. _Others, too, but further away._ Brileth gave an impression of other riders, but not as clearly.

"Sorka's calling backup in for us, Pol," Roy said over his shoulder.

"Glad to hear that," Pol replied, not really liking what he could see of the damage below.

"You and me both," Roy muttered, keeping his eyes down on the ground below.

The dragons were capable of gliding effortlessly, riding the thermals, and keeping their multi-faceted eyes on the dangerous territory below. It did not take that long for the three immediate backups to arrive, either, having flown at full speed to get there. For humanity's sake, the dragonriders had a sense of urgency in this matter; Mary had small children.

 _Sorka says to circle down for landing, but for us all to land close together, facing outward._ Brileth gave the pattern the gold rider was suggesting to them all.

"Good," Roy said aloud, "do it, Bri."

The dragons were on the ground in short order -- and the sound of five growling queens, bronzes, and browns was one that Roy would really prefer not to ever hear again. "Pol, can you slip down first? Rather hand you my bow than try and get it from the straps once I'm down."

"Yeah, no problem. Half wishing I knew how to handle it now," Pol half-teased, trying to keep his wits when the wait had only heightened his fear.

As Brileth had landed near Faranth, Bay was over to Pol by the time Roy was down and re-armed with his preferred weapon. "Sorka said for us to stay between the dragons while they move in," Bay said to her husband. Roy started to say Sorka ought to as well, until he saw David tossing a tranq gun over to the former veterinarian apprentice. She was more than able to use that. David, in Dick's absence, was moving to take point, but he did hesitate long enough to see if Roy wanted it.

Roy shook his head, nodding at David to go on and take it. Fast as his reflexes were, good as his eye was, he'd do the most good taking drag. "Once we've checked the route to the house, Pol, you and Bay get in there, get Mary and the kids, and get all of you back between the dragons. We haven't met anything on this planet that will risk a dragon's fangs and claws yet, they'll keep you safe until we check this out."

"Shouldn't be that much a wait for Peter and Alianne to get here after that," Sorka added to that. "So we can start evacuating the stake. Sean wants us to get them gone, then wait for the full force of our riders to arrive and carefully hunt out the premises."

"That you can talk to Carenath comes in handy so often," Roy said, nodding before they started moving. He almost hated how easy it was for those old habits to come back to him, but right now it might save all their lives. Once they were to the door he lifted his hand to wave to Pol and Bay, bringing them at a run to the house while the five of them made a path between them. A fair of fire-lizards swooped past and around, again and again, and it only took a moment for Roy to recognize the gold leading them. Bay's Mariah must have picked up wilds.

Mary pulled the door open, nearly stumbling out of it, reaching out for Bay, already weeping, and Bay pulled her close, humming soothingly. "Shh, Mary, shh... it's all right. We're going to take you out of here..."

"David," Roy said softly, watching the two women, "you stay with them, then come on in to us when the others get here. Peter, Nyassa, Sorka, I want to know nothing's gonna come charging out of that building." Peter and David both might ride bronze compared to his brown, but he was older. The dragons, though following typical fire-lizard patterns in deference to one another, had some hierarchy leeway based on rider personality and influence, they had all discovered.

Sorka focused on Duke and Blazer, and the fire-lizards who answered to the riders plus a few of the wilds all swooped past to take point. "They can blink away," she told Roy for explanation.

Roy nodded, letting the fire-lizards swoop in first, trailing them -- and his three fellow riders -- in. The reek of animal and animal dung hit them almost instantly, making Nyassa cough for a moment before she got it under control. The lights were still on, showing the piles of dung in the enclosures and smashed inner walls... and very soon, revealing a gnawed, mangled body.

"What the hell?!" Peter exclaimed, staring at it. "Nothing on this planet kills like that!"

"Pol said he stole some of the big cat and dog ova from vet before they booted him out of Landing," Roy answered, shaking his head.

"That misbegotten, _insane_ \-- " Nyassa cut herself off, as Peter found a lab coat and some towelling to cover the body with.

"That looks like a lab in there," Peter said, "should we go in?"

"Yes," Sorka said firmly. "We're going to need every clue we can get about what he did. Any paperwork, anything."

Roy's guts told him more than that was needed. "Guys, no... don't touch it. We don't know if this is related to that, or if the way he's got it laid out could hold vital clues for someone actually trained to read it," he said when they stared at him. "Gonna need to clear the compound, yeah, I get that, but like a … like... " He struggled to find the right words for what he needed to say.

"With forensics? Pictures, layout, the like?" Nyassa questioned gently, knowing how difficult it could be to struggle to find the right Standard words when you grew up in another language.

"Yeah, that," Roy said gratefully. "Maybe numbering the notes somehow, so we get them in the right order of layers, in relation to each other?"

"Kathy's Cherry's great-granddaughter," Peter said thoughtfully, "she could go find out who knows how to do this right, without rousing too much attention."

"Is Cherry still in Landing?" Roy asked, surprised.

"She's refusing to leave until she's certain they can get the data transferred from AIVAS and the ships' databanks up to the fort," Peter said, shrugging one shoulder a little. "So yeah, she's still there."

Nyassa reached for Milanth. _My beauty, will you ask Amalath's rider to ask her great-grandmother for a 'forensic major'? Discreetly._ She waited as the message was relayed, hearing her queen's side of it, before Milanth replied.

 _She goes._ Milanth told her rider.

"We should know from Kathy pretty soon," Nyassa said aloud. "Until then, let's do what we can to make certain nothing can circle back in here, Roy?" she suggested/asked.

"Yeah. Sounds like a plan," Roy said, suiting action to word and starting them hunting through the rest of the enclosures. "Big predators, really? What the hell was he thinking?" he muttered at Sorka as they worked their way through.

"They say he went mad, Roy. In the end, only he can know, and he's paid the final price for it," she said softly. In her own mind, she labeled Tubberman as the final victim of that first fall, before moving on to the present, and all that was needed to secure the future.

****

"I _cannot_ decode these notes, Dinah!" Pol cried out in frustration, slamming the folder he was staring at closed with a slap of his hand. "Where he learned to write ciphers, I have no idea, but I can't break it, damn the man!"

"I don't think it is a cipher, Pol. I think the man honestly was transposing multi-disciplinary equations in the process of his creations," Dinah told Pol, looking again at the set of notations she had chosen to work on. "At the most basic level, we agree that flora and fauna share certain intrinsic values, and then they begin to deviate. But you get some lifeforms that are neither wholly one or the other, by the classification system of Earth, correct?" At Pol's uncomprehending nod, Dinah continued. "I think he was trying to analyze more than one thing at a time, but in his... despair... wound up smashing them together like a Haldron Collider. And got somewhere because of it." She put the notes down, and stood, considering her own words. "Drake... saw something, and I wanted to investigate, but I was firmly told 'no'. Maybe..."

"David and Nyassa were in a lather over that there was still grass on the stake," Pol said, nodding. "They pulled some of it, even though it looked just like any of our grasses, and took it -- and the strange bugs they found in the roots -- to Phas. Did he not ask for you? I mean, I haven't minded your company while I'm throwing myself against the wall of trying to decipher this, but i did think it was strange..."

"Phas does not approve of my methodology," Dinah said neutrally, her nostrils flaring. She had only ever done what was needed to help her race survive, and damn anyone who condemned her for her part in the biological warfare countermeasures against the Nathi. "I need to go there," she stated abruptly. "I need to investigate the site directly."

"Then why don't you send your Hope to Roy or Dick and ask them to take you down there? I think they've been going down fairly regularly, trying to find all of the cats Ted let loose," Pol suggested, as mildly as he could. Admin had done everything they could to settle Mary and the children safely with Tom Patrick and some of the other psychologists at the Paradise harbor, but he was still frustrated by their responses to what Ted had accomplished. Insane and massively unethical and unbalanced he had certainly been, and guilty of major crimes against the colony besides -- but now that he was dead, why were they letting that stop them from digging as deeply into what he'd done as possible?

"I think I will." She would get Roy to take her. He was more than adequate protection, and well-trained to observe with her. With a casual thought, she relayed to Hope her desire to see her red-headed companion/student/surrogate son. "Pol, take a few days off. Go see Bay, make time to just be together. You two have been working far too hard," she added, knowing Bay had been trying to decipher the more fauna-oriented notes.

Pol smiled at her, soft and affectionate, and said wryly, "It's not as though we don't live together, Dinah -- then again, we have hardly seen each other. Nobody can afford a few days off, hard as we're pushing to get out of here.. but maybe we'll go ahead and pack the house, try to figure out where we're going to go."

"Oh, don't go north, Pol," Dinah said, reaching out a hand for him, "you've been some of the best friends to the boys and their dragons."

"They're moving almost all of our equipment north though, Dinah," Pol said, taking a slow, thoughtful breath, "and it's not as though we're all that much use outside of our specialties. I'm an old man, and much as Bay loves Pern, she's just a little bit of a city girl."

"We'll still need you here, Pol," Dinah told him, watching his face, "maybe at the harbor on Paradise, so you'd have a community? I'm good at botany, but animals? Very little I can do with those."

"...all right, all right. We'll talk to Jim, see if he has room for a couple xenobios at his harbor," Pol promised, squeezing her hand.

She smiled at him, content with that, and turned to head towards the door. As long as Roy wasn't halfway to Drake's Lake, he'd be arriving soon. She didn't want to step out into the continual cloud of ash until she had to, but she could at least keep watch. Luck was with her, and it was only a few more minutes before she saw Brileth's wide wings coming towards the square. She wrapped a scarf up around her head -- borrowed from Bay the moment she'd parked her sled at Landing for protection from the ash and the wind -- and darted out the door, getting to them bare moments after his claws touched the ground.

"Hi boyo," she said, looking up at him with a smile as Hope landed on her shoulder, "and good afternoon, Brileth. You up for taking me to Calusa?"

Halfway through un-clipping his riding straps, Roy paused, blinked down at her for a few moments -- visible even behind his goggles -- and then nodded and snapped the strap back into place before he put his hand down for her and Brileth lifted one foreleg to give her a step up. Between his hand and Brileth's leg, it was easy for her to swing up behind him, and she wrapped her arms low around his waist, her grip tight. She was grateful she was so small, it made Brileth's neck a comfortable place to sit, and meant that Roy's sheer height would keep the wind from her eyes.

"Just to be sure," Roy said over his shoulder, "you do mean Mary's stake?"

"Yes," Dinah nodded, looking up at him as Brileth gathered himself and sprang into the air. "And since we aren't going to have much daylight left -- "

"We can talk about why once we get there, got it, Di. All right, Bri, let's go!"

 _We go!_ Brileth sent with enthusiasm that might have seemed suspicious if Dinah wasn't all but radiating her need to be there quickly.

Dinah had tucked her face into Roy's shoulder, closing her eyes. Much as she enjoyed flight, sometimes the initial feeling of being in the air triggered her satellite-born agoraphobia and she'd learned to prepare. However, when the darkness behind her eyes grew so complete that she could not see the ash-reflected glow through her eyelids, she felt a brief panic.

Opening her eyes... pushing out with her hearing... scrabbling furiously with her hands on Roy, and feeling nothing save a seeping, dark cold like the emptiness of space itself... and Dinah was all but screaming defiantly in her mind, fear and memory throwing her back to those long hours trapped in her lab.

 _I am here._ Brileth's voice resounding in her mind, the press of Hope's worry in her personal hell held her back from the insanity that told her every single memory of Pern was nothing but a delusion, that she was still trapped with no light, little air, and the knowledge her family could be dead or dying.

Then the pressing cold was gone, and they were back in the semi-tropical evening air of Pern.

The warmth wrapped around her and Roy's voice swearing in furiously terrified liquid syllables that were nothing like Standard or anything else she knew broke across her eardrums as one of his hands reached down and wrapped almost violently hard around her wrist at his waist. Brileth dropped on down to the ground, and it only took a moment before Dinah realized that the brown was trembling under them, his head turned around to stare at them, great faceted eyes an odd mix of blue and yellow with his distress.

 _I am sorry,_ Brileth said into both their minds, _it is_ between. _I knew where you wished to be... why should we not be there?_

"It... it's... okay, Bri," Roy managed to say, still holding on tight. "You... you're right, and we -- we did it! We did it, Bri, we figured it out!!! Di -- Di are you okay?"

Roy was here. Brileth was beneath her. Hope had arrived and landed on her shoulder, tail lashing around her throat in a grip that was one step away from being breath-threatening. This was Pern and that tragedy was over twenty-five years in the past. She pushed hard against Roy's back, not letting go; he was upset too, and that helped her focus some.

"Fine," she managed to say, voice gone hoarse as if she had screamed into that awful blackness.

 _I am sorry,_ Brileth said again, stretching his head past Roy's shoulder to put his eye closer to hers, membrane half-lidded shut. Roy twisted around the other way, his own eyes gold-green with worry, trying to check on her.

Dinah reached one hand off Roy to that great muzzle, sliding along the head some called fearsome and she found beautiful up to the eye ridge. "Dear Brileth, you only did what you were meant to, and saved me much daylight to work in!" She wrapped her fears up and threw them deep into the locked chest of her past. There was work to do, work that might protect her people some day. "I am so proud of you for being so good at what we need."

Hope chirred at Brileth, reinforcing the emotions from her human to the dragon.

 _You were so afraid -- there was a bad thing?_ the dragon worried, leaning into her hand as the yellow in his eye faded towards contented green. _The bad -- it is gone, now? You are all right? We did well?_

Hope loosened her tail-grip on Dinah's throat to hop down the length of her arm and on to Brileth's muzzle, licking away flecks of ash as she chirred at him again.

 _There was a very bad thing, but it is all gone. I have Roy and you and Dick and Slade and Shareth and Hope and Major and Chakano and Trouble,_ Dinah said to the dragon directly, since he had graced her with his attention.

Brileth relaxed, a deep croon coming from his chest as his eyes went fully green, and Roy let go of Dinah to wrap both his arms tight around his dragon's neck, holding on for all he was worth. "Oh, Bri, you _did_ it, you beautiful, wonderful, amazing dragon you _did_ it! You are the _best_ brown, and the smartest, and Sean's either going to kill me or have Sorka kiss me stupid, but oh, Bri, we _did_ it!!"

 _It's not hard at all. You see it, I go!_ Brileth said, still a little confused why it had been such an issue, but pleased to know his rider was happy. Dinah, not waiting for Bri's leg, was already sliding down the dragon's side... he thought the feeling of cloth along his hide tickled a little.

"Roy, keep eyes out while I check the specimens!" Dinah called back, already moving to the thickest, lush grass to start collecting and investigating.

"Of course, Di." Roy rolled his eyes, still petting Brileth's neck -- but the reminder of where they were and the threat they faced made him slowly let go, his hands dropping to his bow and pulling an arrow to nock. In the last few days of trying to capture or kill all of the loose cats, he'd learned that arrows dipped in needlethorn sap and tunnel-snake venom worked well to take them down, so it was one of those arrows he chose. It was going to take a while for the adrenaline of that to wear out of his system, but Brileth's contented delight radiating through him was helping.

"So, what made you decide we needed to come all the way out here again?"

"The notes... they look like Tubberman was meshing disciplines. I need specimens to try and reverse what he's done, or at least see the end results, but Phas got that part of the mystery." Dinah concentrated on finding the heartiest grubs and grasses, scooping everything, including the sod, into specimen bags she was never far from. "I think he lifted DNA sequences from one thing into another."

"That's creepy, Dinah," Roy said, his eyes flicking across the ground, watching for any sign of more cats in the rocks around the stake. The fact that there were only rocks and grasses and some of the stripped-bare trunks of that incredibly dense wood, not the thick jungle of some of he and Dinah's early trips out of Landing, was helpful with that, but Tubberman had built deep in a valley, surrounded by cave-riddled hills. Perfect denning grounds for big predators, especially ones with no fear of the native tunnel-snakes. "I hear a lot of 'don't ask' in that comment about Phas, so I'm not going to -- but you know I always listen to you."

"One of the do no harm crowd, when it comes to using science, boy-o," she answered him with a long sigh. "You know what I did after … after I left the satellites."

Roy growled, his lip curling. "Yeah, the exact same thing I would've if I'd known what you did. You did what needed to be done, and he can shove it. Sideways. Or gag on it, I don't care."

"Thanks, Roy." She got five separate specimens, then moved to the cistern she could see and moistened the sod for transport. "Brileth, I don't think I can keep these warm enough going back the way you brought us, so straight flight back?" she queried when she was walking back to the pair. She had been as swift as she could; no sense exposing them to more danger than they had to.

The big brown nodded, dipping his muzzle close to her hair again before he lifted his head and stretched out his wings.

"You're a sweetheart, like your rider," Dinah told the brown, securing the specimens in her pouches and pockets so she could clamber up.

"Di~i," Roy protested, sliding the arrow back down into its slot in his quiver and reattaching the bow to the straps. Once he had everything arranged to his satisfaction, he whistled Trouble back to his shoulder from where the brown had been warily flitting from roof to roof "Ready for the trip back?"

She slipped her arms around his middle as soon as she was up behind him. "Yes. Yes I am." One day, she would face that blackness again, and beat her fears, but she was just as glad, ash and all, to fly back straight. Hope cheeped imperiously that all was ready and it was time to go!

****

Flying straight-line back from Landing hadn't exactly suited Roy completely, but under the coating of ash Brileth had picked up, he couldn't tell if his dragon's color was off, and he wasn't going to ask Bri to go _between_ \-- where in the stars had his dragon come up with that word? -- again until he was sure he was decently full and rested. It'd been a long day.

"Okay, Bri," he said as they made to take off from Landing again, "couple minutes flight and we can get all of this ash washed off you, yeah?"

 _And oil? It itches under the straps,_ Brileth answered, eagerness in his mental touch as he leapt from the ground and quickly turned towards their caves.

"Yes, 'and oil' if you're itching," Rooy promised, watching the barren earth below as they flew.

He was half-expecting Faranth or Porth or Chamuth to be waiting for them, for Sorka or Tarrie or Rachel to be right at hand, but the ledges in front of the cave complex were almost entirely bare. Manooth, Shoth, and Firth were stretched out, all showing ash across their limbs and wings, and Brileth dropped down close to them. Roy stripped the riding gear off, shaking his head at the amount of ash on it, and rubbed at the marks it had left on his dragon's hide. "You go splash around in the river, and I'll get the oil for you. Works?"

 _Yes,_ Brileth agreed, leaping up to go. Firth half-opened one eye, then closed it again as he saw it was one of his clutchmates stirring the air.

Roy headed inside to drop his gear where he could clean it... and froze, looking at the small desk. He stripped off his gloves and goggles and walked over there, grabbing a pen and piece of paper to scribble a fast note to Slade. 'Hey,' he wrote, 'if you can track Dinah down, she might need you tonight. She got triggered pretty hard today. Tried to shove it off, but... you know her. See you when we can. Let me know you got this, too.'

Trouble bounced to his shoulder, chirping a soft question, as Roy lifted the note to tie it off and tie it to his leg. "Go to Slade, Trouble. Find Major, find Slade, then come home, yes?" Trouble snorted at the last question, shifting to hold the note in his foreclaws, and leapt from his shoulder to vanish within three wingbeats.

Dinah thus seen to as best as he could manage, Roy grabbed up the oil and a rag to go back outside and clean up his dragon.

+++

He hadn't quite known what to think of that none of the queens -- or even Shareth -- seemed to think anything at all was amiss, and that had left him trying to figure out how to tell them all. He'd still been trying to figure that out when David and Alianne called out that dinner was ready and to come get it. Which at least had made his mind up. The last meal of the day was one they all tried to get to, mostly so that they could catch each other up on all the projects going on in the Landing region. They were mostly through the meal before Peter asked, "So, how'd things go today, Tarrie?"

"Oh, don't ask. Dick, I don't know how you put up with Joel, the man is impossible!"

Dick shrugged, swallowed the piece of wherry he was working on, and said lightly, "Eh, it's just a matter of knowing when to get out of his way, but that takes a knack. Must have been something under everybody's skin, though, Fulmar and Vic were about ready to deck either each other or the next mechanic that talked to them all day."

"Jays, what, was it in the water or something? Maybe a chemical in the ash?" Jerry asked, shaking his head. "I thought it was just the sheer amount of stuff still to move that had Desi out of his mind. Turned out to be something weird going on with crew scheduling, but still."

"I didn't have any problems," Sorka said thoughtfully, "but I was mostly shifting stuff over to Monaco for the latest set of ships to take to Paradise."

"Everyone's exhausted, Jerry," Kathy said gently, "especially the mechanics and the cargomasters. I'm not surprised the strain -- and all of that ash falling all the time, making everything filthy -- is getting to people. Can I say again how grateful I am that our prevailing winds keep pushing the worst of that away from us?"

"Aye, that," came in about nine-part harmony, with Rachel's quiet, "Agreed," coming a bare breath later.

Rosabelle snorted. "As the dragons do not like to be ash-covered, but are far too big to scrub daily, I certainly am!" she said. "Tempers are uneven at the stakes too. I had to be firm with your father, Paul, to be certain we'd get enough meat at the end of this for our needs."

Several of them exchanged quick glances. When Rosabelle was 'firm' about things, riled tempers and egos tended to follow -- but the thing about Rosabelle was that she was always justified when she did decide to put her foot down. And Lutenth was as direct as her rider.

Paul shook his head, sighing a little. "I don't really blame dad, they've taken a lot of hits over this, but they've also gotten a lot more of the Landing stock than we ever expected. I had it easy, I was wherry-hunting with Jerry all day. Pierre was glad to get them."

Roy just couldn't hold it back any longer, but no, he had to do this casual. "Went _between_ with Dinah and Bri today," he said, easy as anything.

"Between?" Dick asked, as everyone turned and looked at him. Brileth was very helpful, passing on the experience of _between_ to Shareth, who shared it with Dick, making the other rider go pale in memory of closed in, dark cavern passages. "The heck is that?!" he demanded at the impressions from his dragon.

"Damnit, Bri!" Roy growled as he reached out and wrapped his arm around Dick's side, tugging him in against his chest as much as he could on the bench. " _Between_ is what Brileth decided to call it when he teleported Dinah and I to Calusa -- and yes, I sent Trouble to Slade already, Dick."

"With what that felt like, I'd hope so!" Dick exploded. "You just up and decided to be a firelizard for a change, with no warning to anyone what you were trying!"

Sean, listening to the chewing being given, was both curious and irritated with his brown rider. _Carenath?_ he pressed, getting his bronze to find out what Brileth had shared with Shareth. When that cold, unending blackness pressed into his mind, his knuckles went white on the spoon for his stew. "Roy William Harper..." he snapped tersely.

The snap was enough to get Roy's attention off Dick, and his gaze snapped around to Sean. "Carenath?" at that single, terse nod, Roy sighed. "We didn't intend to -- or at least, I didn't. Bri told me one other time that he could see where I wanted to go, he would do it, but I wasn't willing to try it then. So this time, when Di wanted so bad to get to Calusa fast... I guess it's because of how many times we've been there? Anyway. I was thinking about the stake, how it looked, and all of a sudden, that black stuff was all I could feel or see or smell or hear or taste. Think I about went out of my mind until we were back in the sun. Scariest goddamn thing since that cave-in during the bombardment."

Dick shuddered at that, not wanting to remember so far back. "With Di being wired to the lizards the way she is... of course Brileth thought you meant right away."

"It doesn't excuse you from keeping the upper hand, Roy," Sean said. "As loco as the lizards can be, we don't need to let that -- that -- sense of whimsy control our dragons!"

"Strong reasoning is needed," Sorka began, her tone moderate. "I completely agree, Sean, but now we know it's doable, and Roy's a brave heart, steadier than many of us, to share the hows with us," she encouraged, to focus the experience back on this critically needed draconic ability.

Roy's eyes, though, went flat gold as his spine went straight, his hand slipping off Dick so that his shoulders could square completely. "Excuse me, Sean? Brileth might think _differently_ than we do, but he still thinks, and speaks, and has a mind of his own. He's a person, not a pet, and if he wants to be playful, I'm gods-damned glad that _someone_ can be in all this hell. So rein. yourself. in. Before I do it for you."

There was complete silence in the aftermath of that speech, as no one had really bucked Sean, especially not in front of the rest of them, concerning their hierarchy or the dragons themselves. Sorka looked from her mate to Roy and back... and she could see both men were firmly resolved. She didn't know how to break this without fracturing their group.

"Sean, Roy's right." David was willing to take point on this. "Our dragons, for all the coding meant them to be emotionally and intellectually bound to us, are sentient, independent beings who should have the full rights accorded to any other species."

"It's like the dolphineers and dolphins, partners, but with a stronger level of interdependence," Nora said softly. "We have to learn to work within their instinctive behaviors, Sean. Roy didn't have a choice, and Brileth was absolutely right and confident in doing what he knows at a base level."

Sean looked at each speaker, then back to Roy. "So long as the instincts are tempered with caution," he conceded, relaxing somewhat. "And we need to talk over that sensation, the hows of moving … between? … and how best to do it, before experimenting with it any further."

"Jays, yes!" Roy said, nodding quickly at Sean, relaxing just as quickly now that he'd made his point and the others had stepped to his side. "And not just 'didn't have a choice,' Nora, I had no idea what he was going to do -- I just meant "let's hurry", and he took off with me. I don't really want anybody else getting that kind of a shock, it was... damned scary. He was in my head the whole time, telling me it was okay, that he was there, but still.

"Bri obviously shared it with Shareth and Carenath," Roy went on, "so I'll get him to push it to the rest of your dragons. They can give it to you -- just make sure you're ready for something incredibly strange."

Brileth didn't wait -- thus proving the point Roy had made -- to do so, as he'd been following it all. The sudden stiffening from them all, and low moans from a few with darkness phobias, showed it had affected them all.

Then David spoke, slow and measured, as the intense phantom cold faded. "It will freeze those things." He looked around at them all, anguish at war with his determination. "If those things touch us or our dragons, it will destroy them when we flick into that cold."

"That's right; the dry ice was completely destructive on the few samples caught," Nyassa said, remembering the stir that had caused. "There had been some talk of trying to pressurize carbon dioxide at a high enough pressure to be effective."

"But we don't have the equipment for that, not on a massive scale," Dick said, shaking his head, "they talked to Fulmar a little bit, he couldn't come up with a way to do it. You're right, David, Nyassa. Whatever it is that protects them through space, it's long gone by the time Thread gets anywhere near us. That -- that'll save lives, if we can get _between_ and kill the stuff before it can burrow in."

Rachel was on her feet, the quiet older woman moving to David's side, settling with her arm lightly wrapped behind his back. He turned in her grip, pressing his head against her shoulder. Of all the riders, only he, Sean, and Sorka could really meet the level of experience in dealing with horror that Dick and Roy had, which was one reason the riders turned to him as much as to the other four when they needed a leader. Rachel's quiet presence soothed away those horrible moments of watching Lucy die right in front of him, letting him collect himself.

"We'll need that," Sean said. "Because we'd all have to be fecking perfect to avoid the Thread, fighting it in the air like that. Not like a sled, something that won't feel, not on our dragons. So, we learn this trick, we learn it gut deep, and then we tackle flaming."

"Agreed!" Marco and Otto called out, backed by Tarrie and Sorka both.

****


End file.
